Deep in a Dear Diary
by mushroom1302
Summary: Kaori, an average 15 year old girl into martial arts, manga and rock music.However, when she discovers the diary of a girl called Kimiko Tohomiko, she's pulled into story of a love triangle that she somehow feels connected to.Maybe she's not so average...
1. Diary in a Dusty Attic

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown. Don't sue me!

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(A/N) This story is dedicated to the people who read my fics and then get in contact with me. They're so nice! You know who you are!

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_Kaori leaned back and watched her mother cleaning the surfaces in the kitchen, her long black hair tied back in a long ponytail._

"_You could help me you know!" She said, turning to her daughter._

"_No thanks," Laughed Kaori, sitting forward, "I've got to relax. I've got a martial arts contest in a few days; I've got to keep up my strength!"_

_Her mother turned around, her blue eyes filled with disapproval._

"_What mum?" Asked Kaori._

"_I don't like those contests." Said her mother, shaking her head._

"_How come?" Asked Kaori._

"_I just don't!" Said her mother, turning away as thought that settled the matter; "I'd much rather that you'd do something like dancing or art."_

"_What hobbies did you have at my age mum?" Asked Kaori._

"_I don't remember." Said her mother, not turning around._

"_Dad said that he used to do martial arts at my age." Said Kaori, starting to pry a little further._

"_Yes, well, your father did a lot of things I didn't like." Said her mother._

_Kaori twisted a strand of her own black hair. Her own eyes were a deep red and she liked them a lot. There came a rattling from the front door. _

"_Dad's home!" Said Kaori happily._

_Sure enough, her father entered the kitchen. His brown hair was sticking up awkwardly again._

"_My key keeps getting stuck in the lock." He said._

"_How was your day?" Asked Kaori's mother._

"_Not bad," He said, "Yours?" _

"_Can't complain. Tea?" She asked._

"_Please." He said before turning to his Kaori, "How're you?"_

"_Fine," Said Kaori, "except for mum giving me the 'I don't like martial arts contest' speech again."_

_Her mother put a cup of tea in front her father and placed her hands on her hips._

"_Do you have homework?" She asked sternly._

"_Only maths," Said Kaori._

"_Well?" Said her mother._

"_What?" Asked Kaori._

"_Don't 'what' me! Go and finish your homework before dinner!" Said her mother._

_Kaori flicked her side-fringe out of her eyes as she got up and left. Her hair was short and she tied in it cute little bunches which, when added to her perfect figure and pretty face, gathered a lot of attention from the boys in her class. She was only fifteen, but looked older when in her on clothes. Otherwise, people could more or less guess her age from the sailor-suit school uniform she had to wear (as a lot of girls at Japanese schools did)._

_As she left her mother turned to her husband._

"_She's a lot like you were," He said, sipping his tea._

"_Unfortunately, she likes to avoid work," Said her mother, sitting beside him._

"_Much like her father," Said the husband, staring down at his cup.

* * *

_

_Kaori stretched and yawned as she looked down at her maths homework. How should she know how to use the equation 'y mx+c' to find out the gradient of a line … or something like that anyway. She leant down and searched through her bag, trying to find he calculator. _

_It wasn't in there. Damn. She searched through her desk draws and then looked under her bed, in her cupboards and in her chest of draws. It wasn't anywhere. She had put a few boxes of stuff in the attic at the weekend. Was it possible that she put it in one of the boxes by accident?_

_She decided to go up and look for it. It beat actually doing the homework anyway. She got up, pulled a torch out from under her bed, left her bedroom and left the unfinished homework where it was. She stretched up once on the landing and pushed up the door to the attic. An automatic ladder slid down and she climbed up and turned on her torch._

_Which boxes were hers again? She hadn't put them up here, her dad had. She looked around for the boxes not covered in dust. Unfortunately, it only took a matter of minutes for things in the attic to become dusty. She decided just to look through a few boxes. She knelt down beside one and slowly pealed away the tape keeping it sealed. A cloud of dust rose as she opened it and she coughed sharply._

_As the dust re-settled, Kaori searched through the box. Inside was a collection of strange look pyjamas by the look of them. Two pairs; one for a girl and one for a boy maybe? Either way, this wasn't one of her boxes. _

_She pushed it aside and pulled another box towards her. She pulled off the tape and another cloud of dust rose. She sneezed and then leaned away from the box until the dust had settled. She then looked at the content. Inside were a few photographs and a black book with a lock on it. She picked up the photographs. They were of four people, about sixteen- seventeen. A boy and girl were holding hands and smiling. Maybe they were dating? The girl looked similar to her mother, Miko. The boy looked sort of similar to her dad too, Ray. He had the same untidy hair. Could it be that these two were her parents?_

_Kaori picked up the black book. She tried to open it, but the lock remained tight. She looked back in the box and started shifting through the photos. Right at the bottom was a small silver key that she put in the lock and turned._

_On the inside cover (written in slender Japanese lettering) were the words: _

**This Diary is the property of Kimiko Tohomiko. Keep your hands off. That means YOU Raimundo!**

"_Kimiko? Raimundo?" Asked Kaori, "I guess it's not them."_

_She flicked over the page where another photograph was stuck onto the page. It was of the four people. Their names were written around it with arrows pointing to them, but they were a bit younger, maybe only about her age. The girl in the other picture was Kimiko, the owner of the diary. The boy holding her hand was Raimundo. The two other figures were also boys. There was a short, bald, round headed boy with the name 'Omi' written below him and a tall boy wearing a cowboy hat called 'Clay'. She had an uncle Clay! But he lived in America and she hadn't seen him in years. She could hardly remember him, except she remembered that he helped look after someone who was disabled and so he couldn't travel anymore. Judging by the mountains in the background of the picture, and the type of flowers in the front, they definitely weren't in America. _

_Kaori read a couple of pages in._

"**Raimundo is totally getting on my nerves. He's such a jerk! He keeps trying to make me jump and tries to distract me in training practice. If I didn't want to train at this temple so badly I'd be on a plane going back to Japan…"**

_Kaori flicked through the pages until she came to a page with a large love heart drawn on it. Inside the heart were the names Kimiko and Raimundo again. Obviously something had changed from when she first started writing in the diary. She turned to next page. 31st January 2006 …

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_

Kimiko rolled over and looked at her calendar. 31st January 2006. She smiled and got up, stretching. She smiled as she remembered the previous night. Raimundo had lead her out under the stars and used the Golden-Tiger-Claws to take then to the top of the mountain. They had sat at the top of the mountain for hours, just talking and looking at the stars and then they came back down.

Kimiko got dressed and walked out towards the kitchen. She got there to find Clay and Omi talking happily.

"Morning." Said Clay.

"Morning," Said Kimiko, waving her black hair out of her face, "Morning Omi!"

"Good morning Kimiko," Said Omi, "I'll tell Master Fung that you're finally awake."

Omi limped towards the door. Kimiko watched him sadly. They had finally defeated Chase Young; he was six feet under, but before going, he made sure he got one last hit in at Omi, leaving it painful for him to walk and he was now unable to train properly. Instead, Omi tended to turn to deep meditation while the others trained. However, it was easy to see that in his opinion this was no match for the thrill of battle. Omi was only to fight as a last resort and couldn't go on Shen-Gong-Wu hunts unless he stayed in the air with Dojo and just watched, which was worse than being left behind anyway. With his last hit, he had reduced Omi to a fate which he considered worse than death, but he had regained his confidence and was getting on with his life.

Raimundo walked into the kitchen, distracting Kimiko from her line of thought. She smiled and he kissed her. When they broke apart, Clay thrust a cup of coffee into Raimundo's hands and they started to talk fighting. When all else failed, at least they could talk about that.

* * *

_"Kaori!" Shouted her mother, Miko, from downstairs, "What are you doing in the attic?"_

"_Looking for my calculator!" Called Kaori._

"_You left it in the living room while you were doing your homework in front of the T.V the other night!" Called Miko, "Come down! Dinner will be ready in ten minutes!"_

_Kaori looked down at the diary in her hands. That poor boy Omi, he had been crippled and was left unable to fight. Kaori could never bear that! But she had been right with her first instincts about Kimiko and Raimundo; they had been dating._

"_Kaori!" Called her mother again, "Get a move on! Help your father set up the table!"_

"_I'm coming mum!" Called Kaori. _

_Kaori looked back at the diary and the collection of photographs. She put a few photographs between the pages of the diary and slipped it up the front of her shirt. She knew her mother would tell her to put it back if she saw her with it. She climbed down the ladder, feeling the cold book against her stomach._

"_I've just got to put my phone on charge," Said Kaori, pulling her mobile out of her pocket as her mother watched her carefully._

"_Be quick!" Said Miko, turning away and walking downstairs._

_Kaori walked quickly into her room and shut the door. She quickly pulled her chest of drawers forward and revealed a cupboard, which her parents had forgotten she had. She normally used it to hide extra snacks or at special times, presents. She opened the door and slipped the diary out from under her shirt before putting it in the cupboard and shutting the door. She then slipped the chest of draws back into place and put her phone on charge before walking downstairs. _

_Her mind was full of everything she had just read. Reading it from Kimiko's point of view made her feel as though it was her in the story. She couldn't wait to carry on reading it later, but first dinner and homework. The last thing she wanted was detention from her maths teacher again._

_She sat down to dinner wondering if she should mention any of the stuff she had found in the attic, but decided against it. They wouldn't actually tell her anything even if she did ask. They were pretty useless when it came to finding out things about the past. That had been proven by her questioning earlier. Her mother always found a way to avoid giving an answer._

"_Kaori?" Asked her father._

"_Are you alright?" He asked._

_Kaori blinked and looked up._

"_What?" She asked blankly._

"_Well, you seem kinda out of it." He said._

"_I'm fine," Said Kaori._

"_Do you ever actually listen?" Sighed her mother, "In your own little world again"_

_No, thought Kaori, I was in someone else's.

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_

(A/N) trying something different. Maybe some of you can guess where this is going, but that's no fun so just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Tell me what you think of this first chapter.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	2. Not him anymore

_Kaori slid the chest of draws forward again and opened the cupboard. She pulled out the diary and ran a hand over the black cover. It was smooth and the spine was worn where Kimiko had obviously opened it and written in it everyday. She wished she could've known her._

_She pulled out another photo. This one was of Kimiko and Omi pulling faces at the camera and a green lizard was curled up Omi's arm. She was wondering what the lizard was called when she remembered that Kimiko had mentioned someone called Dojo in the entry she had read. Maybe that was him? Or maybe dojo was a friend and just didn't like having his picture taken. Or he was the one holding the camera all the time._

_Kaori skipped back to where she had been reading and after making sure no one was coming, sat down and continued to read.

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_

Kimiko and Raimundo walked hand in hand to the training area. They were laughing and talking about nothing in particular, but they always seemed to be smiling and laughing these days. Chase young was defeated, Wuya had gone into hiding; too weak to fight them, and that just left Jack, who returned to the Ying-Yang world to try and search for Chase Young's soul, but had been unable to find it. Instead, his 'evil' had been returned, but lets face it, he was hardly a threat.

More or less everything had returned back to normal. No one was trying to kill them or make them join the Heylin side and about once every two or three days a Shen-Gong-Wu would activate, giving them something to keep them busy.

"I think today we are going to meditate," Said Master Fung, "After all, what is the use of keeping our bodies in shape if our minds are not?"

They all nodded and sat down, Omi included and closed their eyes. As Master Fung spoke softly to them, his own eyes closed, they slowly closed out all sound.

Kimiko slowly opened one blue eye. She looked over and saw Raimundo had opened his own eye. He smiled and winked at her. She smiled back and closed her eye. A few minutes later she opened it again and saw Raimundo, both eyes open grinning at her. She smiled at him and indicated silently that they should join in. He nodded and they both closed their eyes.

A few seconds later there was a loud crash and they all opened their eyes. Standing on top of the roof, was Jack Spicer, surrounded by heavy armed robots.

"Hi there Xiaolin Losers!" He called, "Did I interrupt your mid day map?"

"Get lost Spicer! We have more important things to do!" Shouted Kimiko.

"Really? Well I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving till I get some Shen-Gong-Wu!" Said Jack, glaring down at them.

"JACK BOTS ATTACK!"

* * *

_"Kaori?" Asked Ray, knocking on the door._

_Kaori quickly shoved the book under her bed as he walked in._

"_Hey dad" She said, smiling._

"_How's that homework coming?" He asked._

"_I'm almost done dad," Said Kaori._

"_Well finish quickly, don't you want to get some practice for the competition done?" He asked._

"_Yeah, I will dad," Said Kaori._

_Her dad nodded and left, shutting the door behind him. Kaori pulled her homework towards her and glanced at the questions. She scribbled a few notes and answers down, occasionally tapping on her calculator. When she had written down something for each question (not bothering to check if it was right) she pulled the diary out from under the bed._

_She ran a hand over the pages, thinking about the girl who had written in them. She wondered if she would ever meet this person, or if she had already met her and didn't know. It was strange, but she felt like she already knew this person. Maybe she just reminded her of herself. Either way, where was she?

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_

"JACK BOTS ATTACK!" shouted Jack Spicer, pointing at the dragons.

The robots attacked, but the fight didn't last long. The dragons always had been more than a match for the loser bots. Why did he even bother anymore?

Kimiko ran for the vault as soon as she cleared a path. By the time she got there the door was already open and Jack was walking up the steps from he vault.

"Put the wu down Spicer," She said.

"Or what?" Asked Jack, glaring at her with a strange smile on his face.

"I'll kick your butt, does that sound fun to you?" Asked Kimiko.

"No, but kicking yours does." Said Jack.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. Had she thought about, she would've realised how strange it was that Jack Spicer, for once, wasn't crying like a little girl and throwing the Shen-Gong-Wu down at her feet, but she didn't think about it. She jumped into the air, span around and aimed a kick for his head.

Jack threw the Shen-Gong-Wu into the air and caught her foot, spinning her around, straight into the wall and then dropping her before catching all the Shen-Gong-Wu before it hit the floor. Kimiko slowly and shakily sat up.

"H … how did you …?" She began, but Jack quickly sat on top of her and pinned her arms down.

"How did I get so good?" He asked, "Well that's simple, I learned."

"You aren't Jack Spicer!" Snapped Kimiko, "you're someone else!"

"You know I could take offence from that," said Jack, "But I'm not that shallow."

"Get off of me!" Snapped Kimiko, trying to struggle free.

"You know, I risked everything trying to help you out, but you never even noticed, did you?" He said, "And now, well, I'm even better than I ever was."

"You are nothing!" Said Kimiko, glaring up at him.

She realised she was having trouble breathing. She wasn't sure why it had suddenly hit her so hard, but she couldn't get Jack off her chest to draw in breath.

"I can't breath!" She gasped.

"What a pity," Said Jack, not making an effort to move, he just sat there watching her glare up at him.

"Get off of me Spicer!" Kimiko gasped.

"You never realised what I was doing, did you?" Asked Jack.

"I don't understand you!" gasped Kimiko.

"You wouldn't," said Jack, leaning down by her ear, "But don't worry, you will and when you do, you'll come to me. What you don't realise is I didn't just return to my old self; I lost everything inside of me. There is no more of that pathetic weed Jack Spicer. I'm so much better than that now."

He stood up and picked up his sack of Shen-Gong-Wu. Kimiko spluttered and gasped for breath, spitting slightly on the floor.

"Kimiko?" Called Raimundo, running into the room.

"See you later dragons," Said Jack, "I'll be back."

With that he was gone and Raimundo ran over to Kimiko and knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"He's gone …" she whispered hoarsely.

"I know; he just left." Said Raimundo, "But we'll get him."

"No!" Gasped Kimiko, "I mean … Spicer. He's not Jack anymore … he left all of his chi behind. He's not even the Jack Spicer we knew anymore."

Raimundo looked down at her and frowned slightly.

"Come one, we'd better get you out of here. Get some fresh air," said Raimundo, helping her to her feet.

* * *

_Kaori frowned, wondering what Jack Spicer could've meant. She was tempted to skip ahead and check it out, but that was cheating and she knew she shouldn't. So she didn't.

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_

(A/N) I'm sorry it's shorter than normal, but I've hurt my right hand (since I'm right-handed it's not so good) and I'm finding it hard to type it up. I'll get back to regular sized chapters because I feel guilty. This chapter is a good 700 words shorter than normal. I tend to try and get it up to 2000 words per chapter at least, but sometimes I'm naughty and skip out.

Tell me what you think so far.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	3. Hiroto Nosaka

_Kaori spent the next day in school, thinking of the diary. She wanted to go home quickly at the end of the day and read it._

"_Kaori!" Called Hiroto. _

_She looked around. _

_Hiroto Nosaka was a boy in her class. He was a good-looking guy, but he got annoying when he kept following her around everywhere, offering to carry stuff for her. What annoyed her more was that he called her by her first name as though they were old friends._

"_Nosaka- Kun?" She asked._

"_How come you never just call me Hiroto?" He asked, "We've been in the same class since elementary school."_

"_Did you want something?" She asked._

"_Um … yeah … can I talk to you?" He asked._

"_I really need to get home …" Began Kaori._

"_I promise I won't be long!" He said quickly._

_Kaori looked back at her friends waiting for her at the gate._

"_You two go on ahead, I'll catch up," She said, before turning back to Hiroto._

_Hiroto smiled and took her by the arm, leading her away. He took her to an area that had the shadow of the school cast on the ground._

_Kaori shivered slightly._

"_Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?" Asked Hiroto._

"_I'm fine," Said Kaori, "Now what did you want to talk to me about?"_

"_Right … uh …" He took a breath, "Um … its just …Kaori… would you maybe … do you want to go out sometime?"_

"_You mean as friends right?" She said._

"_No … I mean," He took another breath, "I like you … I _really_ like you."_

"_You mean like on a date?" She asked._

"_Well … yeah." He said._

_Kaori blinked hard for a moment._

"_Underage dating is against the school rules, you know that." Said Kaori._

"_Well …we'll both be sixteen in a few months and …" He seemed lost for words._

"_Nosaka, we could be expelled!" Said Kaori, folding her arms._

_A few snowflakes were falling now. It was cold and she really wished she'd brought a jacket with her. She looked at Hiroto. His face was slightly red from embarrassment. She felt really bad. She had been asked out before (though never by someone as good looking as Hiroto) and she had always turned them down saying that she wouldn't risk leaving school like that. Dating under the age of sixteen (like getting a part time job) was strictly prohibited by the school rules. _

"_I'm sorry Nosaka- Kun …" She began._

"_It's cool," He said._

"_No … it's not … I just … maybe when we won't get expelled for it you can ask me again, but …" She sighed._

"_Yeah … well … can I at least walk you home? It's kind of dark." He said._

_He was right; the dark snow clouds had cast a shadow over the entire town._

"_Nosaka …" She began, but looking at his face, "okay."_

_He looked up and smiled at her._

_As they walked along the road, Kaori glanced sideways at him. He was looking down at his feet sadly._

"_Um … Nosaka- Kun?" She said, "Can I ask you something?"_

"_Yeah, of course." He said as the snow began falling more heavily._

"_Why did you ask me?" She said._

_He went red again and looked about randomly._

"_Um … well …" He took a deep breath, "It's just that … you're funny and smart and you like really cool music. You do little doodles in the margins of your work and you do martial arts. Plus you're really cute and …I'm not entirely sure the exact reason."_

"_Well … why today?" She asked._

"_I … uh … well I was looking at you today in maths. You were looking out of the window and you looked really pretty. You're eyes were partly closed and you were about to doze off and …" He took a deep breath, "I figured if I didn't ask you today then I never would. So I did …"_

_He tried to laugh._

"_It's not exactly worked out well, but at least now I know." He looked down at her, "It's not like you completely turned me down and I guess I can always ask you again another time."_

"_Um … yeah." She said._

"_I should've known I wouldn't have a chance. A lot of guys have asked you out and …" He shrugged._

"_Nosaka, that's not why …"_

"_Kaori!" Called one of her friends, a little further up the road._

"_My house is this way anyway," Said Hiroto, gesturing to a side road._

"_Nosaka …" She began, but he walked away without looking back._

_Kaori's friends, Yukie and Mitsuko walked up to her._

"_So he finally asked you out huh?" Said Mitsuko._

_Kaori looked round at them._

"_We figured as much," said Yukie, "I bet you turned him down."_

"_Well … yeah, but not exactly … I said he could ask me again when we wouldn't be expelled for it." Said Kaori._

"_Aw, but he's so cool," Said Yukie, fiddling with her hair._

"_Yeah … well … I need to get home. Come on." She said.

* * *

_

_As Kaori opened the diary, she thought about what she had read the previous day. She thought she understood what Jack Spicer had meant. Was it possible, that he liked Kimiko? She was feeling like she could relate to her more and more each day. She flicked through the pages.

* * *

_

01st of February. A new day and more of a chance to think about what they were going to do about Jack Spicer. Kimiko was wondering what he had meant by the things he had been saying to her. She wished she had another girl around to talk to about this.

"Kimiko?" Asked Raimundo, coming up behind her as she sat on the wall, looking out across the land.

He put an arm across her chest and held her in a tight embrace. Kimiko held onto his arm and leant back against him.

"I've been thinking about Jack," She said.

"Not something a boyfriend needs to hear," Said Raimundo.

"I know, but …" She closed her eyes, "He actually scared me Rai. He was sat right on top of me and he wouldn't let me breath. He could fight and he wasn't even slightly worried about the consequences of his actions … that's not the Jack we know."

Raimundo made a noise that could either mean, 'I'm not sure either' or 'I don't care that much'. Kimiko sighed and closed her eyes.

"Do you think that we'll ever be alright?"

Raimundo sat down next to her and she turned to face him. He kissed her, his hand on her cheek. He ran it straight through her hair and down her back.

"Kimiko!" Called a voice.

Kimiko pulled away and blinked hard as she looked at the figures running towards her. It was Clay … and Raimundo. But then … who was sat right opposite her. She looked back. The figure in front of her changed, forming a person she knew all too well. Jack Spicer winked at her and held up an arm, showing her the morphing Shen-Gong-Wu on his wrist.

"Thanks for your concern sweetheart," He said, "But I'm just fine and no, you won't be alright. No one will."

He got up and pulled out a blue sphere.

"Orb of Tsunami!" He called and they were all thrown backwards by a torrent of water.

By the time the water had subsided, Jack was gone. Kimiko was staring into space. Raimundo ran over to her and shook her gently.

"Kimiko? Kimiko!" He said.

"He tricked me …" She said quietly.

"I know, but it's okay," Said Raimundo, "you didn't know."

"I thought … if you hadn't come … I wouldn't have known," She was breathing heavily.

Raimundo hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry, I'll make him pay for this." He said, rocking her slightly.

She held onto him.

"He took most of our Shen-Gong-Wu," Said Clay, "He must have seen you here and tried out the morpher. One of his sick minded jokes no doubt."

Raimundo helped Kimiko to her feet.

"But why?" she asked, "Why would he do that to me?"

"He's gone for you both times," Said Raimundo, "I don't think we should let you fight him again."

"But I don't understand. He's never done this before," Said Kimiko.

"It's like you said," Said Raimundo, "He's not Jack anymore."

"It's just plain wrong!" said Clay, "He's messing with your head Kimiko. Just make sure you know who're you're making out with next time."

Kimiko glared at him and walked away.

"What? Too soon for jokes?" Said Clay, watching her walk away, muttering under her breath.

* * *

Kimiko went into her room and sat down on her bed. Jack Spicer. She had not only kissed him, but he was way too close to trying to go further with her to just be messing with her. There was something wrong with this. She hated him! She hated Jack Spicer! He was always a jerk and now he was trying to mess things up for her and Raimundo.

She wished she hadn't walked away. Being on her own made her feel insecure. She wanted to be with Raimundo. She ran a hand through her hair and looked around. It was all way too quiet.

"Kimiko?" Asked Omi, limping around the corner.

"Omi?" She asked, "That is you right?"

"Of course," Said Omi, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I think I'm gonna need proof." Said Kimiko.

"Well, that's easy!" Said Omi, "Your best friend before you arrived at the temple was Keiko and every night you sleep with a cuddly cat under your pillow called Micro!"

"Okay," Said Kimiko, "It's alright."

"Why the security?" Asked Omi, sitting down next to her.

"Jack Spicer. He's got the morphing Shen-Gong-Wu." Said Kimiko, "He just pretending to be Raimundo and I fell for it …"

"And now you're worried he'll come back?" Said Omi.

"I'm pretty sure he will." Said Kimiko.

"So, where are Raimundo and Clay?" Asked Omi.

"Not sure." Said Kimiko, "I just walked away."

"Well, I hope he doesn't come back here," Said Omi, "or I will be forced to kick his rear end!"

Kimiko smiled at him and hugged him.

"Thanks Omi," She said.

"No, Kimiko," He said, "Thank you."

"Why?" She asked.

"For not pointing out that I couldn't do it," Said Omi.

"To tell you the truth, it never even crossed my mind." She said.

* * *

_Kaori smiled as she looked down at the diary. She respected Kimiko and she respected Omi in that one moment. They both treated each other as normal, despite the fact that they both knew that things weren't normal. As she read Kaori felt a sudden longing. An ache in her chest where she wanted so badly to be at that temple, training with those … was it 'dragons'? Things there seemed just as complicated for Kimiko as things were turning out to be for Kaori._

_Kaori's mind suddenly wandered back to Hiroto. He had just asked her, straight out. He said that he knew he had to do it or he knew he never would. She wished she could have that sort of courage. She now wished she had talked to him a bit more, at least talked to him about why she had said no some more._

"_Kaori!" Called Miko from the bottom of the stairs, "Yukie is on the phone."_

"_Okay mum!" Called Kaori, picking up her phone (linked to the home phone), "Hey Yukie, what's up?"_

"_I just thought I'd call, see what you're doing." Said Yukie's voice from the speaker._

"_I was just reading a book." Said Kaori, slipping the diary under her bed._

"_So … are you gonna go out with Hiroto?" Asked Yukie, trying to sound casual._

_Kaori knew that this was what it was really about._

"_I don't have time for this now Yukie," Said Kaori, laughing slightly down the phone, "I've got to get some practice in."_

"_Come on! Just tell me!" Whined Yukie._

"_Bye Yukie," Said Kaori and she put the phone down._

_She rolled her eyes and got to her feet. Stupid Yukie. Stupid Nosaka. Typical teenagers.

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_

(A/N) Check me out uploading decent length chapters and on time! XD

I kind of picture Hiroto Nosaka as Tristan from Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm not sure why. I even gave him his original first name from the manga. (His full name in the manga is Hiroto Honda. They changed it in the dubbed version for American and English T.V to Tristan Taylor.). I think I got the name right with Nosaka- Kun. I think it's right to put 'Kun' after it. I asked my sister to make sure. Maybe if I finished my 'learn Japanese' course I would know. ¬.¬ . I've actually heard that some Japanese schools do ban dating and part time jobs because they're distracting from work or something like that. My school just bans mobile phones and hoodies (which is just stupid).

Tell me what you think.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	4. Kidnapped

_Kaori stretched. It was Friday at last! She would only have to get through today and she would be free for the weekend. She was going to hang out with her friends and read more of that diary! She had still managed to avoid skipping to the end to find out what happened to Kimiko and how her family ended up with the diary._

_She walked downstairs and sat at her kitchen table. Her mother put her breakfast in front of her. Even as she was eating she as going over what she had read the previous night._

"_Kaori?" Asked Miko, sitting opposite her._

"_Hmm?" Said Kaori._

"_Are you alright? You seem a little distracted." Said Miko._

"_I'm fine mum," Said Kaori, "I'm just thinking about this book I've been reading."_

"_You mean you've been reading something other than manga for a change?" Said her mother._

_Kaori rolled her eyes and continued eating._

"_Are you sure you're alright? There's nothing bothering?" Asked Miko._

"_I'm fine," Said Kaori._

"_You just seemed a little distracted when you got in from school yesterday." Said her mother, looking at her intently._

"_I … it was nothing," Said Kaori, "I just …how old were you when you started dating dad?"_

_Her mother sighed and closed her eyes slightly._

"_Older than you are now." Said Miko._

"_You couldn't be that much older," Said Kaori, "You said yourself you were too young to have kids when you had me!"_

"_I know, but I've never regretted having you," Said Miko, "I just wish that I had been older. Why this sudden interest in the age of me dating?" _

"_Well … it's just …" Kaori sighed, "this guy in my class asked me out yesterday."_

"_It's not the first time that's happened." Said Miko._

"_I know … it's just that I felt really bad turning him down," Said Kaori._

"_Who was it this time?" Asked Miko._

"_Hiroto Nosaka," Said Kaori._

_Miko frowned slightly._

"_I thought you said he was annoying because he was always following you around," Said Miko._

"_I know … it's just that … he looked so hurt." Said Kaori, "But I told him I wasn't going to risk my education."_

"_Good thing too," Said Miko._

"_Mum … did anything like his happen to you at school?" Asked Kaori._

"_No, I had a private tutor." Said Miko._

"_Well I guess granddad could afford it!" Said Kaori._

"_I hope you're not indicating that I was spoilt!" Said Miko._

"_Not really," said Kaori, "More privileged."_

"_I'm not sure that that's any better." Said Miko, "anyway, I sure Nosaka understands just how important your schooling is to you."_

"_Hmm," Said Kaori, "I said if he wants to he could ask me again when it's a better time."_

_There was a knock at the door._

"_I bet that's Mitsuko," Said Kaori, "I'd better go."_

"_Alright, have a good day." Said Miko.

* * *

_

_Kaori walked up the street with Mitsuko at her side, laughing and planning what they would be doing the next day. As they got to Yukie's door, she ran along the path to meet them._

"_Morning Yukie, what do you think about going bowling tomorrow?" Asked Mitsuko._

"_I can't, I'm out with a friend tomorrow." Said Yukie._

"_I thought we were your friends!" Said Kaori._

"_A friend from where I used to live before I moved here. She's coming to visit." Said Yukie._

"_Why don't you just bring her along?" Asked Mitsuko._

"_No … she'll feel sort of left out." Said Yukie._

_Kaori got the impression that Yukie wasn't exactly telling them everything and that she was thinking very fast on the spot._

"_Well, how about Sunday then? We could go shopping." Said Kaori._

"_I dunno, I've got a lot of homework to do," Said Yukie, "I can't do it tomorrow."_

"_That's why you shouldn't leave it to the last minute." Said Mitsuko._

"_So, your friend's from Osaka?" Asked Kaori._

"_Yeah," Said Yukie._

"_And she's just coming for the day?" Asked Kaori._

"_Well, she's coming tomorrow and then going back on Sunday." Said Yukie._

"_Is she staying with you?" Asked Kaori._

"_No, she's staying at a hotel," Said Yukie._

"_What's her name?" Asked Kaori._

"_Um …Megumi Inada." Said Yukie._

"_Well, hope you two have fun." Said Mitsuko, giving Kaori a strange look._

_When they got to school, Mitsuko pulled her aside._

"_What was all that about?" She asked._

"_I dunno," Said Kaori, "I just figured she wasn't giving her the whole story." _

"_You're way too suspicious." Said Mitsuko, giving her a little nudge.

* * *

_

_After school, Kaori started reading the diary again, starting on the next day.

* * *

_

02nd February.

Kimiko sat opposite Raimundo. He was smiling at her.

"Are you feeling better today?" He asked.

"Um yeah …" Said Kimiko.

"You're favourite pie is cherry," Said Raimundo, "just in case you need proof."

"No, I know it's you." Said Kimiko, reaching out and taking his hand in hers, "I'm sorry I just walked off yesterday."

"It's alright. Omi told me he checked in on you." Said Raimundo, "He said he was worried about you."

"I'm worried about me," said Kimiko.

"Well, don't be. I'm not letting Spicer get anywhere near you again," Said Raimundo, "If it was up to me, you wouldn't even be allowed to fight him."

"I wouldn't win anyway," Said Kimiko, "But you would."

"I don't know." Said Raimundo, "I get the impression he's learned a few new moves. He wasn't as …"

"Goofy?" Said Kimiko.

"Well at least he's not good Jack anymore. God that guy was creepy." Said Raimundo.

Kimiko laughed and flicked her hair back.

"Do you think he came to find me? Or … was it just that I was there?" Asked Kimiko.

"I'm not sure. That's twice he's targeted you for special treatment." Said Raimundo, "He might just be trying to mess with you, like Clay said."

"I hope so. This new Jack scares me … a lot." Said Kimiko.

"Well, at least now he's a decent threat." Said Raimundo, "We don't have to feel guilty about picking a fight with someone way, way … way! Weaker than us."

Kimiko sighed and tapped her fingernails absentmindedly on the tabletop.

"It think it was stupid of me to get so worked up yesterday." She said.

"I don't," Said Raimundo, "Although I'm he kissed you, not me. Then I would've been really worried."

Kimiko laughed and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I wish I had paid enough attention to notice it wasn't you." Said Kimiko.

"To tell you the truth," Said Raimundo, "I can't pretend that I didn't feel at least a little jealous yesterday."

"Of who?" Asked Kimiko.

"Of you!" Said Raimundo sarcastically, "Of Jack of course! You weren't mine for that split second and that actually made me mad. I just care about you that much."

"That's sweet," Said a voice from the doorway.

They both looked around, Jack Spicer was leaning against the doorway.

"Spicer!" Shouted Raimundo, standing up.

"Xiaolin Dragon of the Wind," Said Jack, "Don't bother attacking me, you've got no back up anyway."

"Where are Clay and Omi?" Asked Kimiko.

"Just taking a little nap." Said Jack.

"You've got out Shen-Gong-Wu!" Said Raimundo, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for something else." Said Jack.

Raimundo flipped forward and kicked Jack back. He flew into a temple wall, which in turn, collapsed on top of him. As he rose out of it Raimundo turned to Kimiko.

"Go find Clay, Omi and Master Fung." He said.

"But Rai …" Began Kimiko.

"Don't argue! Just go! I'll handle Spicer." Said Raimundo.

Kimiko nodded and ran from the room. She found Omi and Clay unconscious in the courtyard. There was a sphere next to them with small open compartments. Kimiko picked it up.

"Knock-out gas," She said, rolling the sphere in he palms before throwing it aside, "Come on guys! Get up!"

There was a light thud behind her, but she didn't even notice. A figure behind her lifted up another sphere and threw it lightly. It rolled up beside her. Before she even registered what it was, compartments opened and a cloud of fog rose and engulfed her. She coughed and spluttered, trying to gulp in clean air, but too late. She collapsed on the ground, her slight remaining consciousness allowing her to briefly register what was happening.

The figure behind her walked up and lifted her head lightly. He smiled and lifted her up, before walking away.

* * *

_Kaori read the last few lines of Kimiko's account of what she had seen through the blurred fig. On the next page, she would find out who the figure was. She smiled as she turned the page.

* * *

_

Kimiko opened her eyes and rolled over. She couldn't remember whom she had seen. She hadn't seen them clearly enough to identify them. She looked around. She wasn't in the temple anymore.

"Raimundo?" She asked drowsily.

"You should rest some more," Said Jack Spicer, walking in from another room, "you hit your head when you fell."

"And I wonder why that was!" snapped Kimiko, "What am I doing here?"

She stood up and looked around, she was lying on a cold, hard floor with her hands tied and she was locked in a cage … again. She didn't appreciate this.

"Well, I used the Jack-Bot to trick Raimundo away from you and then I kidnapped you." Said Jack.

Kimiko was taken aback by his sudden and strange honesty.

"Why?" Asked Kimiko, trying to stand up, but falling back down again.

"That has a very complicated answer," Said Jack, "I'm no going to bore you with the details so just sit tight and rest your head. You're still feeling the after effects of the sleeping gas."

"You haven't tried to replace me again have you?" Asked Kimiko, "Because Omi didn't fall for that the first time you did it."

"No, it serves me no purpose to have someone on the inside this time. I have your Shen-gong-Wu already." Said Jack, sitting in a chair opposite the cage.

Kimiko stared at him.

"Then what's the point?" She asked.

"Like I said, complicated answer, not going into it." Said Jack.

"Jack … what happened to you?" Asked Kimiko, "You never used to be like this … and you've never won a fight."

"That was because the old Jack was a complete loser." Said Jack, "I don't deny it and I know you never would."

"Why are you coming after me?" Asked Kimiko.

"You keep asking the wrong questions Kimiko," Said Jack.

Kimiko watched him. There was a calmness about him. Something she had never seen there before. He wasn't as cold as the last time they had met in the temple vault. He was sitting there, with the most normal expression on his face.

"What changed you?" She asked, "I thought that you had gone completely evil … but that's not it at all … you aren't good … but, there's something strange."

"Basically," Said Jack, "I don't know, I just know I'm not the same person as I used to be. I'm less … goofy. Shall we say?"

Kimiko felt her cheeks go slightly pink.

"I didn't mean …"

"I'm not denying it." Said Jack, "I was goofy."

* * *

_Kaori shut the diary and looked over at her clock. It was nearly midnight. She had been reading for a good few hours. She was reading from Kimiko's point of view and once you got past the valley girl talk, it was pretty easy to understand. Jack Spicer seemed kind of creepy though. Why did he kidnap her? She put the diary in the cupboard behind her chest of draws and got up off the floor. She had to get some sleep before she went shopping with Mitsuko the next day.

* * *

_

(A/N) I wish I could write a happy Author's Note, but I seriously can't. This is because a few people got in contact with me saying 'There's this story on whish is really similar to your story, I think you should check it out', but I was just like, nah, it can't be that similar. A few similarities I don't mind. However, I then got an email saying 'look, this story is almost the same as your 'Remember me Rai?' story and I think you should look at it because I think they copied it'. So I went to check it out. A FEW SIMILARITIES! They copied my story almost word for word, just adding in extra stuff! (Not even right stuff! Like the characters last names.)

I was soooooooooo pissed off! I mean, what sort of person copies someone else's story? 'Can You Remember?' my Irene whatshername is a complete rip off and if you don't believe me, just read the first chapter of each and that should be all the proof you need! It ends on the same cliffhangers and has the same the same dialogue. She says she got the idea over a year and a half ago, then how come she's only put it up this month? She recons it's only 'similar'. Well the fact that it's same the same right down to 'Kimiko put her hand on her hip' and 'it was probably just a mountain goat or something'. I'm sorry but there is a difference between coincidence and down right stealing Irene.

I've given her until Sunday night to take her story down or I'm reporting it and if it doesn't get taken down even after that? Well my friend, prepare for goddamn war! I'm not going to stop until she's seen for what she truly is! If people just ask me 'hey, can I borrow a FEW of your ideas?' and tell me what they are, then that's okay, in fact I find it really flattering just so long as they don't just copy my story.

A huge thank you to everyone who warned me about this story and all of the people who went and told her that it was the same as my story (even is she did ignore you). You people are gonna get a story dedicated to you when I start writing another one! I can't say how much it means to me that you lot stuck by me. You are seriously great people and great friends!

Lots of luv, Becky.


	5. Liar liar

Kaori met Mitsuko outside the mall the next day at eleven. Mitsuko waved brightly and linked arms with her, smiling through her long black hair.

"_What's up Kaori?" she asked._

"_Nothing, why?" Asked Kaori._

"_You've just been distracted recently and you were acting all suspicious yesterday," Said Mitsuko, "Is anything wrong?"_

"_No … at least I don't think there is." Said Kaori._

"_Uh –huh," Said Mitsuko, "Are you sure you're not regretting your decision?" _

"_What decision?" Asked Kaori._

"_Your decision not to date you – know – who." Said Mitsuko, her eyes dancing brightly as she smiled at her._

_Kaori pulled away. She faced Mitsuko and put a hand on her hip before raising an eyebrow. Mitsuko looked at her and laughed._

"_You look just like your mum when you do that!" Laughed Mitsuko._

"_Thanks," Said Kaori sarcastically._

"_It's a compliment!" Said Mitsuko, "You mum's pretty and she looks so young!"_

"_She is young," Said Kaori, "She was a bit under twenty when she had me."_

"_Wow," said Mitsuko, "My mum's totally jealous of her. She thought she had some deep secret about staying young."_

_Kaori walked a few more steps, laughing and then they linked arms again._

"_Do you really think that Yukie is meeting a friend?" Asked Kaori._

"_I'd say so," said Mitsuko, looking straight ahead._

_Kaori followed her gaze and saw Yukie standing not far ahead of them. She was waving to someone who was running over to her … it was Hiroto Nosaka!_

"_Nosaka?" Asked Kaori quietly._

"_What are they doing do you think?" Asked Mitsuko._

"_I don't know. Did he decide to ask her out instead or something?" Asked Kaori._

"_I don't think that Yukie would go out with him if he did. You know she wouldn't do that to a friend!" Said Mitsuko, "Girls don't date guys who are crushing on one of their best friends!"_

_Mitsuko smiled. She was a little taller than Kaori and she glanced sideways and down at her._

"_Do you think we should follow her?" She asked._

"_What? No!" Said Kaori._

"_What? She lied to us and I bet she's trying to set you two up!" Said Mitsuko._

"_Mitsuko, don't you dare …" Began Kaori, but Mitsuko smiled, winked and ran a little further up._

_She backed up against the wall and peered around at Yukie and Hiroto. She gestured to Kaori who sighed and followed her. Mitsuko pulled Kaori against the wall and peered around the plant she was hiding behind._

"_They're heading for the food court!" Said Mitsuko excitedly._

"_Mitsuko, just leave it!" Hissed Kaori as Mitsuko began to follow them again._

_Mitsuko ignored Kaori's hisses and continued to follow Yukie and Hiroto. As Kaori followed her, Mitsuko made them sit at a table close enough to hear, but hidden from view in the food court near to where Hiroto and Yukie were sat._

"_Mitsuko!" Hissed Kaori._

"_Shh!" Mitsuko hissed back, "I'm trying to listen."_

"_Thanks for meeting me Kitano-san." Said Hiroto._

"_Sure thing," Said Yukie, "I kind of guessed that you'd ask me."_

"_What makes you say that?" Asked Hiroto._

"_Well, Mitsuko is Kaori's oldest friend and would probably tell her," Said Yukie, "not to mention, she scares a lot of the boys."_

"_Takami – san isn't exactly friendly," Said Hiroto._

"_Yes she is," Said Yukie, "you just need to get to know her."_

"_I wish I hadn't!" Hissed Kaori in Mitsuko's ear._

"_Hush up will ya?" Said Mitsuko._

_Hiroto looked down at the coffee cup in front of him._

"_Well … what does Kaori think of me?" He asked._

_Kaori gasped and Mitsuko elbowed her._

"_I'm not sure," said Yukie, "She doesn't like to talk about you much."_

"_Oh … right …" Said Hiroto._

"_But I think that's because she likes you but she doesn't want to get into anything," Said Yukie._

_Mitsuko giggled and Kaori hit her._

"_I can't believe this!" Hissed Kaori._

"_Hey, I was thinking the same thing!" Laughed Mitsuko._

"_How come?" Asked Hiroto._

"_Well, she keeps turning guys down because of her education," said Yukie._

_Hiroto made a disbelieving noise._

"_No! I'm serious!" Said Yukie, "That's not just an excuse! She really doesn't want to get involved in anyone at school in case she gets expelled. Besides …"_

_Yukie pulled a few strands of her short hair behind her ear._

"_You're the first guy she's ever said can ask her after she's old enough not to get expelled for it." She said._

_Hiroto looked up at her as Yukie smiled at him._

"_Thanks Kitano-san." Said Hiroto._

"_Hey, just call me Yukie, okay?" Said Yukie, standing up, "And listen Nosaka! If you two get together and you hurt her in any way … I would threaten you, but she does martial arts so I don't need to!"_

"_I wouldn't worry about it!" Said Kaori, jumping out before Mitsuko could stop her._

"_Kaori?" Said Yukie, "Kaori I wasn't …"_

"_You lied to us!" Said Mitsuko, figuring there was no point in staying hidden._

"_Well, what would've you said if I was going to meet Nosaka?" Asked Yukie._

"_I probably would've told you that you were wasting your time!" Said Kaori, "Because it's not going to happen Nosaka! End of story! Finished!"_

_Kaori turned around and walked away, swearing under her breath._

_At home, Kaori walked up and down her room, muttering and occasionally letting out a sudden burst of long chains of swear words._

_She sat down on the floor and ran a hand through her hair. She then got up and pulled forward the chest of drawers and opened the cupboard. She pulled out the diary and settled back down on the floor._

03rd February.

Kimiko rolled over and looked up at the clock on the wall. She had realised she wasn't in the temple anymore and looked across the room. Not far away. She could see the closed door to Jack's room.

She got up, sore form lying on the hard floor of the cage. She stretched and looked around. She hoped that Jack wouldn't be able to hear, but she had to try and escape. She took a breath and focused.

"Wudai Mars fire!" She said, kicking the bars hard.

She fell back, the bars undamaged, but her foot throbbing painfully. She bit her lip to stop the bitter tears from coming. She could try to burn the rope around her hands at her back, but there was a good chance she'd set fire to herself.

She sank to the floor and looked around. The only thing she could see that would be of any use to her was a shard of glass not far from the cage. She slid across the floor of the cage and stretched out her leg, trying to pull it towards her. It scratched on the floor as she pulled it closer. When it was next to the cage, Kimiko turned around and put her tied hands through the bars. She carefully lifted it up and held it between her palms.

She carefully twisted her wrists, hands and fingers until she was holding the glass comfortably and in the right position. She rubbed the sharp edge against the rope. She would be here a while, but she couldn't give up. She continued to scratch it against the rope.

After a while, she glanced up at the clock. She'd been at it fifteen minutes. She pulled her wrists and the ropes fell away. She sighed with relief and she rubbed her wrists. Now the problem was that she was in an unbreakable cage within no reach of any Shen-gong-wu. She groaned and sat on the floor. What was she going to do until Jack got up?

She groaned and then remembered. She pulled out a black book and a key on a chain. She twisted it in the lock and then pulled a pen out of her pocket. She began to write everything that had happened. It all else failed, at least she could write it all down in her diary. You never know, maybe one day she can read it and smile … if she ever got out of her alive.

Just as she finished jotting down the last detail, the door to Jack's room opened and Jack came out fully dressed. He glanced at the clock and then looked at Kimiko, sitting cross-legged on the floor, putting her diary back inside her robes.

"Sleep well?" He asked.

"As well as to be expected for someone sleeping on the floor of a cage with their hands tied!" Said Kimiko.

"With their whats tied?" Asked Jack.

"Their ha …" Began Kimiko, "crap."

"Don't worry," Said Jack, "I'm not going to bother retying them."

"Oh thank you for being so kind," Said Kimiko sarcastically.

"Do you want to get out of here alive?" Asked Jack coldly.

"Do you honestly think I'm afraid of you?" Laughed Kimiko.

"I know that I can beat you in a fight," Said Jack.

"You took me off guard last time!" Snapped Kimiko, "I wasn't expecting you to be so …"

"Good?" Said Jack, smiling strangely, "I can tell you that's not the only thing I'm good at!"

Kimiko rolled her eyes. Men!

"Well … why am I here?" she demanded.

"As you may remember, I said I wasn't going to get into that," Said Jack, "but if you figure it out, feel free to share your thoughts. Do you want breakfast?"

Kimiko glared at him.

"Yes."

"Yes what?" Asked Jack.

"Yes I do." Said Kimiko.

"Yes please?" Suggested Jack.

"No need to say please to me Jack," Said Kimiko, "you're the one making breakfast."

Jack watched her carefully. How did he know she was going to be this stubborn and clueless?

"Fine!" snapped Kimiko, "yes _please_."

"Good, you wait there." Said Jack.

"Well where am I supposed to be going?" shouted Kimiko after him as he left the room.

She groaned in anger and sat back down on the floor hard. She folded her legs and rested her elbow on her knee. She then rested her head on her hand and sighed deeply. Where was Raimundo? And where were Omi and Clay too? They must have noticed she was gone! Why weren't they running to her rescue already? Unless they didn't know where she was!

She had taken for granted that she was in Jack's house, but what if it was a completely different hide out and they couldn't find her? What was she going to do? What if they were in the middle of the ocean and she did escape and couldn't get back to land? … That was very unlikely, but it could happen!

"Raimundo …" Sighed Kimiko, "Where are you?"

Kaori closed her eyes. Her martial arts tournament was the next day and she hadn't done any practice. It had only been three days and yet a lot seemed to have happened. Her mobile rang from where she had dumped her bag on the floor. The tune carried on. She reached towards it and pulled it out.

_On the screen was an un-known number. She sighed and pressed the 'receive' button before putting it to her ear._

"_Kaori?" Came a familiar voice._

"_Nosaka!" Said Kaori angrily, "how did you get my number?"_

"_Takami-san gave it to me," Said Hiroto._

_Kaori frowned. Mitsuko! That traitor!_

"_Listen … I didn't mean to do anything stupid today …" Said Hiroto, 2I just wanted to find out more about you …"_

"_Then you should've asked _me_!" Said Kaori._

"_I know … look," He sighed down the phone, "I just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow."_

"_Huh?" Asked Kaori._

"_The Marital arts competition." Said Hiroto, "I'm gonna be there … y'know … if you don't mind."_

"_Do whatever you want," Said Kaori, "Why should I care?"_

"_I just … I thought I'd let you know." He said._

_There was a short silence._

"_I'll see you there …" Said Hiroto._

"_Nosaka!" Said Kaori quickly, " … thanks. I'll see you there."_

"_Sure thing," Said Hiroto, before hanging up._

(A/N) just to let you know, the whole RMR situation has been sorted. I haven't had much feedback on this story. I'd like to know to what you think, so tell me!

Lots of luv, Becky.


	6. Pedrosa?

_Kaori breathed in heavily as she sat in the waiting room. It wouldn't be her turn for a little while. She didn't know what to do, so she instead of sitting there worrying, she got out the diary. She knew she shouldn't read, she should practice, but it was the best thing to distract her right now._

* * *

Kimiko stepped out of the cage, her eyes scanning the entire room, looking for any escape. She couldn't see one and with the armed robots either side of her, she wasn't going to be getting out soon. She sat down at the table and jack put a plate in front of her.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked.

"Just tea will do thanks." She said, picking up her chopsticks.

"Alright," Said Jack, walking out.

In a couple of minutes he was back and Kimiko had almost completely finished eating. He poured her out some tea and she thanked him.

"You're welcome" he said, "Do you want more?"

"No thank you, but this was good," Said Kimiko, "Where did you learn how to cook?"

Jack smiled, but didn't answer her question. She watched him carefully.

"What are you staring at?" He asked.

"Nothing," Said Kimiko, sipping her tea, "When am I going back in the cage?"

"When you've finished eating." Said Jack, "No need to interrupt you in the middle of breakfast."

Kimiko looked up her watch. It was nearly mid-day already.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"You don't need to know," Said Jack.

"What's with the 'need to know basis' attitude?" Asked Kimiko, "It's extremely annoying!"

"So is your 'I have the right to know whatever I want' attitude!" Said Jack.

"Well I do!" Said Kimiko.

"You really don't get this 'kidnapper – kidnappee' deal do you?" Said Jack, shaking his head at her.

"You don't get this 'my friends are going to find you and beat the crap out of you' deal either, do you?" Said Kimiko, "which is strange because you'd think that you would by no …"

She stopped mid sentence, though not through her own choice. Jack had leant forward and kissed her. She pulled back and tried to lift her hand to hit him, but then she noticed that he had slipped handcuffs onto her wrists without her noticing.

"You son of a bitch!" Spat Kimiko.

"Now that's just rude," Said Jack, pulling her to her feet by her arm.

She pulled her over to the cage and shoved her inside before closing the door.

"Try cutting your way out of those," Said Jack.

* * *

_Kaori jumped as an announcement was made. She sighed and looked back down._

_"__Kaori?" Asked a voice from the door._

_She looked up._

_Hiroto Nosaka was standing in the doorway, looking nervous._

"_Nosaka- Kun …" She began._

"_I just wanted to wish you good luck," he said, "And … just call me Hiroto, okay?"_

_Kaori sighed and looked back down at the book in her hands._

"_How come you aren't out there watching?" Asked Hiroto._

"_I don't like watching the others, I start trying to figure out how to block their moves before I get on there and then they use completely different moves and I get confused and I can't block them. Then I get knocked down and start to panic and then …"_

"_Kaori!" Said Hiroto, "You babbling."_

"_Sorry," Said Kaori, "I'm just a little nervous. I wish I could be like my dad. He used to do martial arts when he was my age and he's always been really confident."_

"_You're confident most of the time, you've just got to get used to it." Said Hiroto._

_Kaori looked up._

"_You are going to be watching, right?" She asked._

"_Sure thing Kaori," Said Hiroto, "I'll be there with Takami and Kitano."_

"_Mitsuko and Yukie are there?" Asked Kaori._

"_Yeah, they insisted on coming," Said Hiroto._

"_Right …" Said Kaori._

_Hiroto gave her the thumbs up and left. Kaori looked back down at the black book in her hands._

* * *

"Wudai Mars Fire!" Said Kimiko, her hands filling with flame.

The handcuffs glowed red, but didn't melt. They burnt her skin, luckily burns healed fast for the Fire Dragon. She looked closely at the raw red flesh. She could already see it starting to heal. It was still sore and the pain remained for a while. The cuffs rubbed on the burnt skin.

She slumped to the floor. This was stupid. Why hadn't she grabbed her hand-held computer yesterday? God, was it only yesterday that she had been taken? It seemed like forever. She sighed and leaned against the bars. Why had that jerk kissed her … twice? He was seriously getting on her nerves now.

She looked around, hoping for something else to help her escape. An alarm suddenly sounded, making her jump. Jack's computer turned itself on and a red light flask continuously. Kimiko looked around and stared at the screen.

"It's a Shen-gong-wu alert system," Said Jack, walking in, "I'm going to go collect it. You wait there."

Kimiko glared at him as he left.

"Where am I supposed to go?" She muttered, kicking the bars side the edge of her trainer (sneakers).

* * *

_"Kaori," Said her teacher, putting his head around the edge of the door, "it's your turn, didn't you hear them calling?"_

"_What?" Said Kaori, "No, sorry … I was reading."_

"_Manga again?" Sighed her teacher._

"_No, a diary," Said Kaori, walking past him and out through the crowd._

_The crowded hall had benches all around the edges, giving spectators a place to sit. She glanced around. Kaori saw Mitsuko, Yukie and Hiroto sitting on the third bench back with her dad just behind them. Not to her surprise, her mother hadn't come. After all, she didn't approve of martial arts! Kaori's mind drifted back to the diary temporarily, Kimiko was girl; she did martial arts. Kaori felt that she would have more in common with Kimiko that with her own mother._

_She stood in the large clearing in the centre of the room. The floor had been covered with gym-mats to add protection and as Kaori faced her opponent, she slipped in a mouth guard. She took a deep breath. She knew the guy standing opposite her. His name was Kazuki. He was a good fighter, she had seen him fight hundreds of times … what was worse was that he knew moves she hadn't even tapped into yet._

"_Go for it Kaori!" Called Mitsuko from the stands._

_Kaori looked around at them and smiled as she caught sight of the three of them, waving at her with her dad behind them, smiling, his brown hair sticking up roughly, just as always._

"_Face your opponents and bow." Said someone as the sidelines._

_Kaori turned and faced Kazuki and smiled to herself. She could do this. She just had to think like a Xiaolin Dragon._

_She closed her eyes and took a breath and whispered to herself. "Wudai Mars Fire."_

* * *

_Kaori won the fight without so much as a flinch. She moved faster than even she knew she could and she went on to win the competition. However, the thing was, she didn't really remember anything about the fights. It all seemed strangely natural. She won without thinking about it._

_As she walked out of the changing room, she sighed and smiled at the sight of Mitsuko, Yukie and Hiroto, waiting for her. Yukie was looking nervous and smiled weakly at her._

_"Kaori I …" She began._

_"Forget it Yukie," Said Kaori smiling, "how about I get my dad to take us out for ice creams at the mall?"_

_"Sounds good," said Mitsuko, "You coming Nosaka?"_

_"I, uh …" He hesitated, glancing at Kaori._

_"Of course he is!" Said Kaori, "He's part of my cheering squad."_

_Kaori was about to walk away when she remembered._

_"I left something in the changing room!" She said quickly, "I've got to go back for it! You guys go on ahead!"_

_She turned around and ran back to the changing room. On the bench was the black diary. She picked it up and slipped it into her open gym-bag._

_She ran back out and along the corridor. Her friends and her dad were waiting for her._

_"Well done Kaori," Said her dad._

_"Thanks dad." Said Kaori, hugging him, "How about ice creams at the mall?"_

_"Alright, I'll drop you all off." He said._

_"Thanks dad," Said Kaori._

* * *

_Once at the mall, Kaori, Mitsuko, Yukie and Hiroto got out of the car. Kaori dumped her bag onto the front seat and grinned._

_"Call me when you want picking up." Said her dad._

_"Sure thing dad," Said Kaori, closing the car door._

_Her dad waited for them to get inside the building. He was about to pull away from the curb, when he saw a black book he recognised in Kaori's unzipped bag. He lifted it up and blinked hard at it. The key wasn't there, Kaori must have it. He didn't really have to worry, the diary wouldn't say … no, Kimiko stopped writing in it before then. He guessed that reading this diary was what had given Kaori the confidence she needed to win today. Kimiko was a strong role model after all._

_"Kimiko … what have you been teaching her?" He whispered._

* * *

_At home, Kaori sank back to the floor and once again, picked up the diary, she wanted to see how Kimiko would get out of the Jack Spicer situation. She smiled to herself, wondering what it would be like to have an interesting life. In her opinion, there was nothing more boring than being Kaori Pedrosa…_

_She flicked through to the pages where she had read up to and continued, unconsciously holding her breath._

* * *

Kimiko had been sat in deep meditation, but that had now come to an end. She had gathered as much energy as she could muster and put it all into a single blast. She raised her hands to the metal bars and fired. A fireball the size of her head flew from her fingertips and blasted the lock of the cage. Unfortunately, she couldn't burn the handcuffs off.

She tripped over the edge of the cage and fell to the floor, unable to stop herself without the use of her hands. As she did, her mobile slid from her pocket across the floor. Of course! How could she have been so stupid? She managed to pull herself up and picked up the phone and flipped it open … no battery. Shit. She knew there had been something she had forgotten to do!

She dropped it to the floor and headed for the nearest door. It was open. She opened it and looked into the darkness. She stepped out into the dim corridor and a light lit above her. With each couple of steps she took another one lit up to lead the way. At the end of the corridor, was another door. She went up to it and twisted the handle. It slid open and inside, was something that made Kimiko fall back in surprise.

She stepped in to see dozens of pairs of eyes staring at her. The thing was, they were all her eyes. The blue eyes shining at her were her own. Some were from photographs, some were from sketches that hade the initials 'JS' scribbled at the bottom. Little figures of her carved out of wood. There was a television set. Kimiko turned it on and it automatically switched on to DVD. The disk span and loaded. It was a DVD made up completely of shots of her. Her smiling, her laughing, her crying, she fighting, her listening to Master Fung, her tapping on her hand-held computer, her mouthing off at Raimundo, Clay and Omi, her mouthing off at Jack … this guy was insane!

Kimiko breathed in heavily and shook her head. She turned around; standing a little down the corridor was Jack Spicer, leaning against the wall.

"See something interesting?" He said.

"Jack … what is this shit?" She said, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Haven't figured it out yet? A little slow aren't we?" Said Jack, standing up straight.

"Jack … just let me go … please." Said Kimiko, stepping back.

She knew if it came back down to a fight, she would lose. She used up a lot of energy in that blast. What was worse was that she was actually scared. She had never been scared of Jack and now to be in an enclosed space with a guy who was practically her stalker was just too much.

Jack stepped forward.

"Let you go?" Asked Jack, "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Jack … please …" Said Kimiko, almost tearfully, "I just want to go back to my friends … please!"

"Your friends, don't you mean your boyfriend?" Asked Jack.

He stepped aside and Kimiko slowly walked past. The next thing she knew, she had received a sharp blow to the head.

"No, you won't be going back to Raimundo Pedrosa…"

* * *

"_Pedrosa?" gasped Kaori, "Raimundo Pedrosa … Rai … Ray Pedrosa … dad?"_

* * *

(A/N) Tell me what you think. I like hearing from you all.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	7. You make me sick

_Kaori stared at the page in front of her. Pedrosa? It was definitely Pedrosa? No doubt about … her dad had been a xiaolin dragon? He shook her head and looked back down at the page. This was too much to take in … and yet it made sense. Her dad did martial arts; Raimundo does martial arts, her uncle Clay who lives in America looking after a disabled person. Was that the same Clay as in here? The disabled person … Omi! He had been crippled while fighting this Chase Young guy. Was it him who her uncle was looking after? He wasn't her real uncle after all, just a friend of her parents._

_Something suddenly hit Kaori. Raimundo, her dad, loved Kimiko, but when had he met her mother and fallen in love with her instead? Miko Pedrosa was her mother, so what happened to Kimiko? This was too much to figure out. _

_She looked at the next day in the diary and continued to read, hoping the story would fall into place.

* * *

_

February 4th.

As Kimiko woke up, she had no delusions that this might just be a dream. What she had seen yesterday had scared her more than anything … what also stopped her from thinking it was a dream was the throbbing pain in the back of her head. She looked around. Jack was gone again.

She was no longer in the cage, which still had the hole she had burnt in the bars yesterday, she was in a sphere. The sphere of yun to be precise. Shen-Gong-Wu. At that moment, she seriously hated them. She pulled out her diary and scribbled down what had happened, hoping that if she received another blow to the head and lost her memory, this would help.

As she finished and put her diary and pen away, she got unsteadily to her feet. The room started spinning and she fell back. She had received more than just a blow to the head. Jack had drugged her! That jerk! If she hadn't already hated him before, she would've by now!

Jack's bedroom door opened. He walked out, shirtless and scratching his head. He looked around at her in surprise.

"You should still be asleep." He said.

"What … the hell … have you given me?" Stammered Kimiko, her head pounding.

"Just something to keep you down." Said Jack, "you should go back to sleep, the drugs haven't worn off yet."

"Wow … I never … would've noticed!" Said Kimiko.

"I thought it would help you relax for a change," Said Jack.

"Re … relax? After … what I saw … yesterday?" Kimiko gave out a small laugh, "not … likely."

"About that …" Began Jack.

"Don't bother!" Said Kimiko, standing up slowly, leaning on the side of the sphere for support.

Jack glared at her for a second.

"Hey it's not my fault!" he said, "I can't help it!"

"Can't help what?" Said Kimiko, nausea setting in.

Jack looked at her in disbelief for a moment.

"You still haven't figured it out?" He said.

"I think I'm gonna hurl." Said Kimiko.

"Me too," Said Jack.

"No … I mean really!" Said Kimiko.

"Oh! Right!" said Jack, stepping forward.

He opened the sphere. Kimiko would've tried to hit him and escape, but she fell over the second she stopped leaning on the sphere. He caught her and helped her over to a chair. She sat down and leant forward, taking in deep breaths.

"It's just a side affect, you'll be fine." Said Jack, "Anyway, about yesterday …"

"Don't say it." Said Kimiko quietly.

"What?" Asked Jack.

"I know what you're going to say and I'm saying don't bother. I love Raimundo," She said.

"I know, but …" He sighed.

"Don't say it!" Said Kimiko again.

"What don't say that I love you?" Said Jack.

"I said _don't say it_!" Said Kimiko.

"Say what?" Asked Jack.

"I'm not gonna say it!" Said Kimiko.

"Say what?" Asked Jack.

"I love you!" Said Kimiko.

"Made you say it," said Jack, smiling.

Kimiko groaned and tried getting to her feet. She immediately toppled over to her right and ended up on the floor leaning against the cupboard there.

"You make me sick!" Said Kimiko.

"No, that's the drugs," Said Jack.

"Which you gave me." Said Kimiko, "therefore you make me sick."

"Not everyone is sick because of the drugs," said Jack.

"It's not the drugs I'm talking about!" Said Kimiko.

"But you said they make you sick." Said Jack.

"I said _you_ make me sick!" Said Kimiko.

"No, that's the drugs." Said Jack.

"Which _you_ gave me!" said Kimiko.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to go around in circles all day," Said Jack, "there is stuff I have to do."

"Like what?" Asked Kimiko.

"Well, for one, get you up off my floor" Said Jack, lifting her up by the arm.

He helped her back to the chair, which she almost fell off as she sat down.

"See, wasn't that fun?" Said Jack, "The drugs will wear off in about and hour."

"An hour?" Asked Kimiko.

"Well, I expected you to stay asleep for another hour," Said Jack.

"I need the bathroom," Said Kimiko, glaring at him.

"Well I ain't helping you do that," said Jack, grinning.

"Well I'm not going anywhere on my own!" Said Kimiko, "Just wait outside!"

Jack rolled his eyes, going slightly pink. He helped her up and walked her along a corridor through another door. When they got to the bathroom, he opened the door and let her go in. She leant against the white sink unsteadily. He shut the door and she stared into the mirror. The image started swirling, making her feel sick.

* * *

_The next day at school, Kaori was sat on her own at lunch. Yukie was in art club and Mitsuko was in dance club. Kaori didn't belong to any clubs other than martial arts. She didn't like spending her break times stuck in a classroom. She was sat outside. The snow was scattered around lightly and she was wrapped up warm. She was comfortable as she looked down at the black book._

"_Pedrosa!" Shouted someone._

_Kaori looked up, it was a few of the boy in her class. They were Hiroto Nosaka's friends, but he wasn't with them._

"_Give me five minutes! I'll find a way to warm you up!" He called, the boys started laughing and Kaori rolled her eyes in disgust._

"_Oh, come on," said the guy who had been yelling at her, walking over, "You know I'm just kidding, unless you really want me to."_

"_Piss off Kujirada," Said Kaori._

"_What's your problem?" He asked. _

_He walked right up to her. He sat down and a put and arm around her shoulders. She pushed him away._

"_Just leave me alone!" She said angrily._

"_I'm just messing about," He said._

"_Piss off!" She said._

_He didn't walk away. She really didn't want to be here._

"_Kujirada!" Came a second voice that Kaori recognised._

_Hiroto had walked around the corner at that moment._

"_I think Pedrosa-san told you to piss off." He said._

_Kujirada stood up._

"_I'm just having some fun." He said, "You can have her when I done."_

_SMACK! Kujirada was on the floor, blood pouring from his nose. Hiroto was stood above him, blood on his knuckles. Kujirada stood up, tears staining his cheeks._

"_I was just joking!" He said, "I think you broke my bloody nose!"_

"_Get the hell away from her." Said Hiroto._

_Kujirada glared at him and then walked away._

"_You're wasting you time," He said, turning back, "Pedrosa's bloody frigid, everyone knows it."_

_He walked away and Hiroto turned to Kaori. She was shivering, her eyes filled with tears. He sat down next to her._

"_Ignore that wanker," said Hiroto._

_Tears started falling from Kaori's eyes and she hugged Hiroto. He hesitated for a moment and then putting his arms around her. They stayed there for a while and then Kaori pulled away._

"_I'm sorry," She said._

"_What for?" Asked Hiroto, "It's his fault."_

_Kaori looked down. Hiroto's hand was stained with blood, not just Kujirada's but his own from the hit._

"_You're hurt," she said._

"_Doesn't hurt," Said Hiroto._

"_I think I've got some band-aids." Said Kaori, looking through her bag._

_She pulled out small packet of plasters and handed them to him._

"_Thanks," he said._

"_No," Said Kaori, "Thanks."_

_Hiroto smiled at her slightly._

"_You know, you should've kicked that guy's butt yourself," He said._

"_I didn't think …" Said Kaori._

"_Obviously," Said Hiroto, " But I've always wanted an excuse to smack that guy one. You just gave me that excuse."_

"_You shouldn't have done it," Said Kaori._

"_He shouldn't have said that stuff about you," Said Hiroto._

_Kaori looked at him. He had rinsed the blood away with his water bottle and was sticking a plaster across the cut on his knuckles. The bell went inside the school. They both looked up._

"_You go ahead, I'll finish up here," He said._

"_Thanks Hiroto," Kaori said._

"_Hey!" Said Hiroto as she started walking away._

"_What?" She asked._

"_You just called me Hiroto," He said smiling._

"_Well, we're friends, right?" Said Kaori._

_She walked away and Hiroto smiled.

* * *

_

_Kaori sat in her room, reading the diary. She glanced up at her clock, it was nine o'clock. She still had some good reading time left.

* * *

_

"Kimiko!" shouted Jack, banging on the door, "There's no way out! Even through there!"

"Being locked in here is better than being out there with you!" Shouted Kimiko in a singsong voice, sitting on the edge of the bath.

"Open the damn door!" Shouted Jack.

"Nope!" said Kimiko.

She was still unstable and her head kept spinning. The drug would wear off soon and then she might be able to fight her way out.

"You can't stay in there forever Kimiko!" He shouted.

"I don't need to!" Laughed Kimiko, "Just until Raimundo finds me!"

She heard Jack let out a frustrated half scream.

"You know you're lucky you're cute because otherwise I'd kill you!" He shouted.

"Don't call me cute!" shouted Kimiko.

"You are cute!" shouted Jack.

"I know, but I don't need to hear it from you!" shouted Kimiko.

Kimiko pulled out a nail file and started smoothing out the edges of her nails. She sighed, if she had brought her manicure kit she could've done a proper job, but this would have to do. She heard Jack walk away, muttering under his breath. She tried to stand up, but the room started to spin again. She sat back down. It was going to be a while before she was ready to try and fight him. If she was lucky she would take him by surprise and she could win … if she was lucky.

She heard some crashing coming from along the corridor. Jack was obviously pissed off. Oh good, for a moment there she thought it was going to be boring locked in a bathroom waiting for her head to stop pounding and the room to stop spinning.

She stepped forward and splashed some cold water on her face. As she leant against the sink, she suddenly felt her stomach churn. She turned to the toilet and threw up the entire content of her stomach. She then felt her head spinning as she fell to the floor. She could just about hear some one knocking on the door violently.

"Kimiko?" She heard a distant voice call, "Kimiko!"

The door flung open and a red headed figure leant over her as her eyes closed and she passed out.

* * *

5th February.

Kimiko opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed, her legs completely numb and a strange taste in her mouth. Jack walked in and handed her a bag of ice, which she put to her pounding head.

"What happened?" Kimiko said groggily.

"Looks like you had an allergic reaction to the medication." Said Jack.

"And what have we learnt?" She asked.

"You've recently eaten carrots?" Said Jack.

"Try, don't give people drugs you insensitive jerk!" Said Kimiko.

"I didn't know you were allergic to them," Said Jack.

Kimiko rolled her eyes.

"That is soo not the point!" Said Kimiko, "You say you love me and then you hit me over the head and poison me!"

"I never said I love you," Said Jack.

"Yes you did!" said Kimiko.

"No, I said '_What don't say that I love you?_'" Said Jack, "I never actually said I love you."

"Then why am I here?" Asked Kimiko.

"Because I love you," Said Jack.

"You see!" Said Kimiko.

"But I never said it," said Jack.

"You did just then!" Said Kimiko.

"Did what?" Asked Jack.

"Said it!" said Kimiko.

"Said what?" Asked Jack.

"I love you!" Said Kimiko.

"Made you say it again," Said Jack, smiling, "How many times are you gonna fall for that?"

Kimiko glared at him.

"And you wonder why I hate you?" she said.

"No I don't," Said Jack.

"It's a rhetorical question!" Said Kimiko, "God, its no wonder that my head is killing me and another thing …"

Once again, Jack had leant forward and kissed her half way through a sentence. If she ha the strength, she might've pushed him away. As he pulled away, his red eyes set on her blue ones.

"Sorry," He said.

"And another thing," Said Kimiko, carrying on, "you keep doing that!"

"Don't hear you complaining," Said Jack.

"Yes you do!" Said Kimiko.

"You want some tea?" Asked Jack, walking away.

"Hey! You come back here! Oh, you just wait until I get some feeling in my legs!" Shouted Kimiko, before stopping, "Milk, one sugar!"

* * *

(A/N) I put some extra stuff from the diary in this time, but still focused a bit on Kaori because the story really is supposed to be about her. Writing two stories in one is hard work. -.-

I did a couple of deviations on 'All's Fair in Love and War'. Can you check 'em out and tell me what you think? They're not great, but they're really just to show what the characters would look like.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	8. Civilised Conversation

_Kaori was absentmindedly tapping her pencil on the edge of her math book as she gazed out of the window. She smiled to herself and glanced across the room to where Hiroto was sat. He quickly turned away when she looked! He had been watching her again. Kaori saw the bandage on his hand and felt a pang of guilt. It was her fault; he had been defending her. She should've been defending herself; it wasn't like she wasn't capable of it._

"_Miss Pedrosa!" snapped her teacher._

_Kaori jumped and looked around._

"_You were day dreaming in my lesson again!" She snapped._

_Kaori sighed._

"_I'm sorry miss," Said Kaori, "But … what's the point?"_

_There was a gasp around the classroom as some of the girls began to giggle._

"_Excuse me?" Snapped the teacher._

"_Well, when are we ever actually going to use this in life unless we become math teachers?" Said Kaori, "And who in here really wants to do that?"_

_The teacher glared down at her. Kaori rolled her eyes and carried of tapping her pencil. The teacher grabbed it off her and threw it into the bin from across the room. Kaori glared up at her._

_Kaori stood up and grabbed her bag._

"_You can take simultaneous equations," She said, "And shove them up your ass! I'm outta here!"_

"_That's detention!" Snapped the teacher._

"_You can shove that up there as well," Said Kaori, "Lets face it, you've got room in an arse that size."_

_The teacher grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the classroom.

* * *

_

_Within a matter of minutes she was outside the head teacher's office. The head teacher was from England. She was tall and very thin with blonde hair most people were convinced was a wig. It was these features combined with her bad taste in clothes that had landed her with the nickname 'Skeletal Barbie'. Her name was Mrs Mirris._

_Kaori's parents came around the corner. Mrs Mirris had obviously called them._

"_Kaori!" Snapped her father, "What happened?"_

_Kaori didn't answer and the head teacher came out._

"_Mr and Mrs Pedrosa I presume?" She asked._

"_Yes," Said Miko Pedrosa._

"_Please come in, you too Kaori," Said Mrs Mirris._

_They walked in and sat in the three seats in front of the teacher's desk._

"_I'm afraid that Kaori has displayed an act of awful behaviour very much unlike her," Said Mrs Mirris, "We believe that she wasn't paying attention in her maths lesson. The teacher asked her to pay attention, she rudely answered back and then told the teacher that she could forcibly put the lesson material up her anal canal and then told her to do the same with the detention that the teacher tried to give her."_

_Her father gave a strong cough that sounded as though it was disguising a laugh. Miko glared at him._

"_Actually," said Kaori, "I asked her what we would need the lesson material for in real life, she grabbed my pencil and threw it across the room, then I told her to forcibly put it up her arse."_

"_But this is not the first report of bad behaviour we've had today about you today, miss Pedrosa." Said Miss Mirris._

"_What?" Asked Kaori._

_Miss Mirris spoke for a moment on the intercom and a moment later; Hiroto walked in followed by a stern woman Kaori presumed was his mother._

"_Kujirada was administered to hospital with a broken nose earlier today. He claims that it was you and Hiroto Nosaka who attacked him so brutally." Said Miss Mirris._

"_That was me!" Said Hiroto, "Kaori never touched him."_

"_Hiroto!" snapped his mother._

"_He only did it because Kujirada was sexually harassing me!" Said Kaori._

"_Excuse me?" Asked Miss Mirris._

"_Kaori!" Said her mother, surprised._

"_It's true, Mrs Pedrosa." Said Hiroto._

"_Start from the beginning," Said Miss Mirris._

"_Well," Said Kaori, "He yelled a rude comment at me from across the playground, he came over, he wouldn't leave me alone (even after I asked him to) Hiroto came around the corner, saw what was going on, told him to leave me alone. He refused. He made another rude comment, Hiroto hit him, and he ran away crying like a baby."_

_There was a moment's silence._

"_Okay so the last bit wasn't exactly the wisest thing to say in this situation right?" Said Kaori._

"_I don't think it's doing us any favours," Said Hiroto._

"_One hit and you broke his nose?" Asked Miss Mirris._

"_Hey, it took its toll on my hand as well," Said Hiroto, holding up his bandaged hand, "Or would you have preferred that I walked away and left her alone with him and his friends?"_

"_It would have been better if you'd both come and gotten a teacher," said Miss Mirris._

"_No one was on duty on the playground," said Kaori, "If they had been, we would've done."_

_Miko looked up._

"_Excuse me, but we have been assured that there is a teacher on duty at all times. Why was today an exception?" She asked harshly._

"_Well, the weather was rather …" Began Miss Mirris._

"_You mean," began Hiroto's mother, "that this girl was being harassed by another student and there was no teacher to stop it because it is cold?"_

"_Well, it was probably just …" Began Miss Mirris._

"_And then you try to punish this young man for defending our daughter where your staff failed to do so?" Asked Miko._

"_I, ah …" Began Miss Mirris again._

_Kaori's father leant down next to the two teenagers._

"_You two might want to wait outside, this could get ugly." He said.

* * *

_

_Kaori and Hiroto stood up and walked out of the office. The voices from inside became suddenly louder._

"_I wonder if they'll make her cry," Said Hiroto._

_Kaori laughed._

"_I hope so, but I'll probably still get detention for telling our math teacher to 'forcibly put our lesson material and her detention up her anal canal'." Said Kaori._

"_I think our mothers might end up becoming permanent friends after this," Said Hiroto._

_They laughed and sat down._

"_That jerk, it was his fault he got smacked in the face!" Said Kaori._

_Hiroto laughed and looked round at her._

"_You want to do something this weekend?" He asked._

_Kaori looked at him._

"_I mean just as friends!" He said quickly._

"_Sure," Said Kaori.

* * *

_

_Kaori didn't get out of the detention given to her by her maths teacher, but as Hiroto had predicted, Miko Pedrosa and Hiroto's mother had gone for coffee after the confrontation of Miss Mirris to have a long discussion about the poor quality of the school's security. Her dad had gone home and said he'd come to pick her up after her detention to talk to her._

_While in detention, Kaori pulled out the diary and began to read again.

* * *

_

As Kimiko sipped her tea, she began to get feeling back in her legs. She wriggled her toes in her trainers and sighed, she still had a long way to go before she could fight Jack and escape and she got the impression that he suspected her plan. (He had chained her foot to the bedpost).

Jack sat in a chair beside the bed and sipped him own tea.

"Well, this is totally boring," Said Kimiko.

"We could always start arguing, but I'll just win again." Said Jack.

"How about we just try and talk normally?" Said Kimiko.

"Hey! I try, but you always come out with something sarcastic and that starts an argument and I always win," He stopped, "More or less like now."

He took another sip of his tea.

"What would we talk about anyway?" He asked.

"Why you love me?" Suggested Kimiko.

Jack spluttered into his tea.

"Where the hell did that come from?" He asked.

"I'm curious." Said Kimiko, giving a little pout.

"I'm not telling you!" Said Jack.

"Oh come on, please?" Said Kimiko, pouting a little more.

Jack tried to avoid looking at her and then glanced at her. He groaned, ashamed of himself.

"Alright, just stop with the puppy-dog pout!" He said.

Kimiko smiled, satisfied and sat up straight, paying attention.

"The reason I love you … well, you're funny and smart and you like really cool stuff. You do little pictures on your hand held computer and you do martial arts. Plus you're really cute and …I'm not entirely sure the exact reason." He said.

"Don't call me cute," Said Kimiko.

"You asked!" Said Jack.

Kimiko sighed.

"Why do you love Raimundo?" He asked.

"More or less the same reasons you just said," He laughed, "except I'd describe him a hot not cute!"

"Well, I'm not one to judge, but if I ever turned gay, he's probably my first choice," Said Jack, "I approve."

Kimiko laughed.

"He's also very determined to look after you," Said Jack, "He wasn't going to let you fight me, was he?"

"No," Said Kimiko, "He wasn't."

Jack looked at her; she was looking at the cup in her hands and smiling slightly.

"You are going to dismantle your room of crazy, right?" she said, looking up quickly.

"Might do," said Jack.

"You've got the real thing here, why do you want that room?" Kimiko shifted uncomfortably, "It's creepy."

"Yeah, but you're not going to be here forever if you can help it, right?" Said Jack.

"Naturally," said Kimiko.

"Well, it might be the only way I'll ever see you again." Said Jack.

"Oh please, hunting Shen-Gong-Wu just wouldn't be the same without you getting in our way all the time." Said Kimiko.

"Yeah, I guess," Said Jack, "but try being the one at the receiving end of one of your punches."

"Well yours aren't exactly cushiony soft," Said Kimiko, "I've still got a bump on my head from the last one!"

"I expect that's adding to the allergic effect of the drug." Said Jack.

"Don't get me started on the drugs again!" Said Kimiko.

They both laughed.

"You see, this is fun; the not arguing!" Said Kimiko.

"You think?" Said Jack.

"We've still got a long way to go before we can start a civilised conversation," Said Kimiko, "And unless you undo these chains it looks like we've got a while to work on that."

"I'm not used to doing 'civilised' conversation," Said Jack.

Kimiko glanced at him.

"What made you turn evil … ish?" She asked.

"I don't know," Said Jack, "I just felt like taking over the world I guess. I've been picked on more or less all my life so taking over the world seemed like the perfect way to get back at everyone, but then you lot got in the way."

"Sorry for protecting our home," Said Kimiko sarcastically.

"You're forgiven." Said Jack, standing up.

He took Kimiko's cup and walked out of the room. When he came back, he sat in the chair again watched Kimiko flicking the hair out of her eyes.

"So this is your room?" She asked.

"Yeah," Said Jack, shrugging.

"Kinda dull," Said Kimiko, looking at the black walls and carpet. On the shelves were a variety of pieces of machinery and a few comic-book action figures.

"I only moved in here recently, didn't have much time to decorate," Said Jack defensively.

"Why were you picked on?" Asked Kimiko, returning to their previous conversation.

"I don't know," Said Jack.

"I think it's the eyeliner," Said Kimiko.

"I never used to do the weirdo demented half-Goth look." Said Jack.

"Maybe it's because you scream like a girl." Suggested Kimiko.

"Okay, this conversation is getting old fast!" Jack replied warningly.

"Because you cry when people step on your feet!" Said Kimiko.

"I don't cry!" Jack thought for a moment, "anymore."

"It's great that you're so in touch with your feelings … you're just a little _too_ in touch." Said Kimiko.

"Will you stop?" Asked Jack.

* * *

_"Miss Pedrosa," Said the teacher at the front of the classroom, "You may leave."_

_Kaori got up and grabbed her bag. She walked across the classroom and went outside. Once out of the school gates she spotted her dad's car and ran over. She got in the front seat and her dad pulled away from the curb._

"_You shouldn't have to guess why I want to talk to you," Said her dad._

"_Listen, I'm sorry mouthed off to the teacher, but I was stressed …" Began Kaori._

"_It's not that," Said her dad, "We're used to your attitude, you just don't normally show it to your teachers."_

_He winked at her and she smiled._

"_No, what I want to talk about is the diary." He said._

"_Diary?" Asked Kaori._

"_Don't play dumb, you've got the diary out of the attic right?" He said._

"_Well … I was looking for my calculator and it looked interesting. I just wanted to check it out." Said Kaori._

"_You might read some things in there that you won't like!" Said her dad, "I just want to protect you."_

"_From what? Jack Spicer?" Asked Kaori, before smiling slightly, "Or the mighty dragon of the wind."_

_He dad almost swerved off the road._

"_You figured it out?" He asked._

"_Of course Raimundo, I'm a smart person!" Said Kaori._

"_Well what else have you figured out from that thing?" He asked._

"_I don't know," Said Kaori, "there are a few things I've wanted to ask you …"_

"_That depends on what they are." Said her dad._

_Kaori took a breath._

"_Is the Clay in this book Uncle Clay?" She asked._

"_Yes," Said her dad._

"_And the person he's looking after in America is Omi?" Guess Kaori._

"_Yes," Said her dad._

"_What happened to Kimiko?" She asked._

"_How far have you gotten?" Asked her dad._

"_Kimiko's locked up in Jack's hideout, she passed out from the drugs and they've been arguing a bit." She sighed, "Jack told her that he loved her."_

_Raimundo sighed sadly._

"_Did you love Kimiko?" Kaori asked._

"_Still do," He said._

"_What about mum?" Asked Kaori._

"_Well, I'm married to your mother so obviously I love her," He said. _

"_Do you love her more than Kimiko?" Asked Kaori._

"_I'd say about the same," Said her dad._

"_So if it was choice between Kimiko and mum?" Asked Kaori._

"_It would never come to that," Said Raimundo, "I love your mother with all my heart. And I love you."_

_Kaori smiled._

"_What did happen to Kimiko?" She asked, "Did she stay with Jack?"_

"_I used to wonder that, but no, the simple answer is she got married." Said Raimundo._

"_Do I know her?" Asked Kaori._

"_You do, but you don't know it." Said Raimundo._

"_What, someone I met when I was tiny or something?" Asked Kaori._

"_Something like that." Said Raimundo._

"_What about Jack?" Asked Kaori_

"_He left a little reminder and disappeared," said Raimundo "the last I heard he was still in china somewhere."_

_As they pulled into their driveway and the car stopped. Raimundo turned to Kaori._

"_Kaori, I'm not going to tell you to stop reading the diary, but I think it would be for the best," He said, his green eyes set on hers._

_Kaori blinked her red eyes and sighed._

"_I don't think it'll do me any harm. I just need to find out what happened to Kimiko." Said Kaori.

* * *

_

(A/N) I hope you like this. 6

Tell me what you think. Lots of luv, Becky.


	9. I need to thank you

_Kaori frowned and she let her hand pass over the black cover of Kimiko's diary. Her dad said she was fine, but why did he leave her? What happened between them … or between Kimiko and Jack?_

_She held her breath as she let the book fall open on the page she had been reading._

"_February 6th _

_Dear Diary,_

_I had the strangest dream …"

* * *

_

February 6th.

Kimiko was running. She was running through an endless number of passages, but she didn't know where she was going. She had to get out, she had to find him! She turned a corner and flung open the door. She was in a room with blue eyes all around her, they were all shining and then she saw countless mouths laughing as she turned around, looking for the door. She closed her eyes and sank to her knees, covering her ears. She had to block out that laugh!

When she opened her eyes she was sat on a swing, she looked around; Raimundo was holding the swing and smiling down at her. She stood up, but when she turned around, the swing was in flames and it was Jack on the other side of it. She turned around and saw Raimundo staring at her in disbelief.

"Kimiko …" He said, his voice echoing, "What did you do?"

She looked down and her hands were coated in blood.

Kimiko screamed as she awoke. She sat up and looked around frantically. She was still in Jack's room. The door suddenly swung open and he came running in.

"Kimiko?" He said, "What's wrong?"

Kimiko didn't understand. Everything was a blur. Her cheeks were tear stained and her black hair fell down across her face. As she stared breathing heavily. Jack swept her hair back.

"You're running a fever," He said.

He pulled out a key and unchained her ankle. He then left and returned with a glass of water. He gave it to Kimiko who drank it fast. She lay down on the bed shivering.

"Get some rest, I'll check on you in the morning." He said.

He turned to leave the room, but he heard a tiny voice.

"Don't go …"

He looked around; Kimiko was curled up on the bed still, but now leaning against the bedpost.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't want to be alone …" She whispered.

He walked over. She moved over and he sat on the bed and put his arms around her. They stayed that way until morning.

When Jack woke up, Kimiko was gone. He looked around and sat on the edge of the bed. He put his head in his hands. She'd gotten away. Damn it. The

The door opened and Kimiko walked in. She handed him a mug of coffee.

"You're still here?" He asked.

"No, I'm your imagination," Said Kimiko sarcastically.

"You look better," He said.

"I feel better." Said Kimiko, "I had the weirdest dream last night."

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"You may have noticed that there are countless doors and passageways in this building." Said Kimiko.

"You couldn't find the exit?" He asked.

"I couldn't find the kitchen!" Said Kimiko, "Took me half an hour. I don't think I would've left without saying thank you anyway."

"For what?" Asked Jack.

"For staying with me." Said Kimiko, "I really didn't want to be on my own."

Kimiko groaned and sat down on the bed.

"Don't suppose you have any girl's clothes around here?" She asked.

"No, but I can get you some," He said.

"Can I come with you?" Asked Kimiko.

"Not likely!" Said Jack, "I'm not that stupid. I'll sneak back into the temple and grab your stuff."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Asked Kimiko.

"Take a shower?" Laughed Jack.

Kimiko glared at him and punched him in the arm.

"Alright, I'm off." Said Jack, standing up, "I'll be back in about an hour."

He left and Kimiko heard a distant door slam.

Kimiko looked around and then down at herself. A shower was probably a good idea.

* * *

_The rest of the week passed without much happening. Kaori's father didn't mention the diary again, but Kaori knew that he was still concerned about her. At the weekend, Hiroto stopped by the house. Kaori was upstairs at the time._

_Miko opened the door and her eyes widened as she saw Hiroto standing there._

_"Mr Nosaka," Said Miko, "Kaori didn't say you were coming."_

_"Hi Mrs Pedrosa, Kaori and I were going to go to the mall," Said Hiroto._

_"Come in then," Said Miko, standing aside._

_As Hiroto walked into the kitchen, Kaori heard his voice and started to grab her stuff._

_"I'll be down in a minute!" She called down the stairs._

_Hiroto grinned, his hands in the pockets of his jeans._

_"I never got a chance to say thank you," Said Miko._

_"Huh?" Asked Hiroto, turning around._

_"For defending Kaori," Said Miko, "Thank you. I know she wouldn't attack a fellow student even if it were in self-defence. She's too nervous to do that."_

_"Kaori? Nervous?" Said Hiroto._

_"She is under pressure," Said Miko._

_"Wow … well, Kaori's my friend," Said Hiroto._

_"You asked her out didn't you?" Said Kaori's mother._

_"Uh … yeah, but she turned me down." Said Hiroto, "She doesn't want to mess up her education."_

_"I know, but I think that she likes you," said Miko._

_Hiroto blinked._

_"I'm sorry, but you're the first mother I've ever met who's actually tried to persuade me to make their daughter break school rules." He said._

_"I'm not," Laughed Miko, "I'm just saying. She doesn't really talk to boys that much and you're the first one she's met outside of school on her own, even just as friends. She trusts you."_

_"I didn't know that," said Hiroto._

_"Hmm," said Miko, "I still want her to be careful. The last time I trusted someone too much, I ended up with Kaori."_

_"Thanks mum!" Said Kaori, walking in._

_"And it's the best decision I ever made," Said Miko, "I had a lot of pressure being put on me to get rid of her."_

_"Dad wouldn't let you even if you did want to!" Laughed Kaori._

_"If it makes you feel any better, I have no intention of getting her pregnant." Said Hiroto nervously, "We're just friends."_

_"Okay mum, now you've finished weirding out my friend, we'll be going." Said Kaori._

_"Have fun," Said Miko._

_As they left, Miko smiled to herself. The previous day, she'd been cleaning out Kaori's room while Kaori watched television downstairs. She had bent down to pick up a sock and noticed the diary just under the bed._

_"Kaori," whispered Miko, watching them leave through the window, "I hope that the diary teaches you more strength than it could ever give me. I feel you might need it."

* * *

_

_That night, Kaori sat on her floor, looking down at the bangle she had gotten that day at the mall. Hiroto had seen it on a stall and decided that it would look good on her. It was purple with black, white and silver stars decorating the thin band. When she said that he didn't have to buy her anything, he said that it was a thank you for defending him when Miss Mirris had been about to have a go at him the other day._

_She smiled to herself as she picked Hiroto grinning as she accepted his gift. She closed her eyes and then took in a sharp breath. She couldn't believe this. She had turned Hiroto down! Now she was feeling all happy because he'd bought her a bangle. She sighed and pulled the diary towards her.

* * *

_

As Kimiko got out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and swept back her wet hair. She walked out and as she entered the room where the cage (still with a hole burnt in its side) stood. Jack was already back. He passed her a bag full of clothes and make up.

"Didn't know what you wanted," He said, "You've got a nice variety of underwear though."

"Tell me you didn't go poking through my underwear draw!" Said Kimiko.

"Well, I had to get you underwear, where else was I going to look?" Said Jack, "Nice thongs by the way."

Kimiko promptly hit him and muttered something about pervert stalkers.

"Hey I'm only human," Said Jack.

"That's debateable," Said Kimiko, heading for Jack's room.

She closed the door and when she emerged, she was fully dressed in jeans, red sun top and trainers. She had make up on, but was still rubbing her hair down with a towel.

"Do you have a hair dryer?" She asked.

"No, I'm a guy." Said Jack.

"Guys have hairdryers too!" Said Kimiko.

"Not the evil ones," Said Jack.

"I dunno, I always thought that Chase Young used straighteners." Said Kimiko.

"You too huh?" Said Jack.

Kimiko sat down.

"Are you ever actually going to let me go?" She asked.

"Dunno," Said Jack, "Might do."

"What do you mean 'might do'?" Snapped Kimiko, "You can't keep me here!"

"I've managed to so far." Said Jack.

"Well when Raimundo figures out where I am, he'll come for me." Said Kimiko.

"He did look a little frustrated when I sneaked past him." Said Jack, "He was looking over a map, crossing off places. I guess that it was the places he had searched already."

"He must be really worried …" Said Kimiko sadly, looking down at the towel in her hands.

"Don't worry about him," Said Jack, "He wasn't made leader for nothing."

"I guess …" Said Kimiko.

She looked up sharply.

"Hold on … are you trying to comfort me?" Asked Kimiko.

"What gave you that idea?" Said Jack, looking around at her.

"You are!" Laughed Kimiko.

"Am not!" said Jack.

"Yes you are." Said Kimiko, laughing.

"Am not!" said Jack.

They stopped laughing and their eyes met. Jack's red eyes focused on her blue ones. He leant in and kissed her. This time, she didn't pull away.

* * *

There was a loud crash and a door to their left burst in. Stood in the door way was the one person they both loathed beyond belief and feared more than that.

"My my Jack," Cackled Wuya, "Do you do that with all your hostages?"

Jack stood up and in front of Kimiko.

"Get out," he said.

"Ah, poor Jack," Said Wuya, "in love with his own enemy. And Kimiko! What would poor Raimundo say?"

Wuya suddenly summoned a boulder out of thin air. It flew at them and Jack pulled Kimiko down and out of it's way as it smashed the large screen. Jack leant over Kimiko, stopping the debris from landing on her. He stood up and pulled Kimiko up.

"Wudai Mars Fire!" shouted Kimiko and fire covered them, blocking Wuya from getting through as Jack pulled Kimiko through a door.

He dragged her along the passage to what appeared to be a dead end. He then pulled a lever and the floor opened to reveal an escape pod with two seats. He lowered her down and then got into the driver seat. The door above them sealed seamlessly and the pod was off, through the water. Kimiko had been right they were on an island!

The pod shot off, neither of them saying anything. Kimiko stared around her.

"Jack, why was she after you?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," Said Jack, "She's been chasing after me since Chase was defeated. I think she wants another partner and thinks she can scare me into it. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I refuse her she just keeps coming."

They left it at that and travelled in silence for what seemed like hours. The pod stopped and rose into another island. It must have been miles away from the other one and yet as they rose into it, it looked almost identical.

"Twin fortresses." Said Jack, giving Kimiko a hand out of the pod.

He walked her through to the room, almost identical to the other one except that it didn't have a cage or any of the junk that Jack had left lying around in the other one.

"This will have to do," Said Jack, "Now she's seen you, she'll try to use you to get to me."

Jack walked through to the bedroom. He held the door open for Kimiko. She walked in.

"I'll let you have this room." Said Jack.

"Jack … how did she know that you loved me?" Asked Kimiko.

Jack gave a small laugh, but it was empty and hollow.

"I was supposed to keep you safe … this whole plan was …" He whacked the lamp of the beside table and it smashed and he sat down on the bed, his head in his hands.

"She figured it out," Said Kimiko, "She's known for a while that you loved me and that she would try to use me to get to you, that's why you kidnapped me. To keep me safe …"

"I'm the biggest screw up in this entire world," Said Jack, "I'm no good at being evil, I'm no good a being good, I'm in love with someone in love with another guy and … I'm still a complete loser …"

Kimiko sat next to him and pulled his hands away from his face. He looked across at her.

"No one," Said Kimiko, "Has ever done this for me before and … I think I need … to thank you …"

* * *

_"Damn!" Said Kaori, closing the book, "Too much detail."_

_When Kaori opened the book again, she turned the page … but it was blank. She flicked through all the pages … it just stopped. Kimiko had stopped writing, but why? She put the diary down and breathed out heavily. The only option to find out more now was to ask her dad._

_She picked up the diary and walked down the stairs. She could hear voices from the living room. The door was slightly open. She was going to enter when she heard her name. She hung back._

_"How could you not tell me that she was reading the diary?" Asked her mother._

_"I didn't think it would matter, it doesn't say anything." Said her dad._

_"Raimundo!" Said her mother, "She figured out who you were! What if …"_

_"For god's sake Kimiko!" Said her dad._

_"Kimiko?" Gasped Kaori is a whisper. No way! It couldn't be! Kimiko? Miko? Ki-Miko. God, how could she have not seen it?_

_"It doesn't say anything about what happened after you cheated on me with Jack!" Said Raimundo._

_"But she's going to want to know!" Said Kimiko._

_"Maybe she should," Said Raimundo, "It's not fair to keep lying like this!"_

_"She's almost sixteen Rai," said Kimiko, "If she was going to find out it should've been years ago, not now!"_

_"She didn't have the diary back then!" Said Raimundo._

_Raimundo looked around and put his hands on Kimiko's shoulders._

_"Look, I love Kaori," Said Raimundo, "We raised her together, but the fact is she isn't mine! She feels like she is, but she's Jack Spicer's daughter, not mine."

* * *

_

(A/N) Dun dun dun. You can probably guess what Kimiko put too much detail about in the diary now.

I hope that you're liking it so far. As you can probably guess, I can't have extracts from the diary anymore, but now we know what happened to Kimiko and Raimundo! (I kinda already knew. I've been planning this the whole time and only one person guessed it all!)

Luv Becky.


	10. Kaori Spicer

Kaori let out a gasp and dropped the diary. As it hit the floor, it banged against the door and the door slid open, leaving her in clear view. Ray and Miko both looked around, but Kaori didn't see them, she saw Raimundo and Kimiko. They both stood there, stunned for a moment.

"Kaori … honey …" Began Kimiko.

Kaori took a step back, treading on the edges of her too-long jeans. She was shaking her head, looking at them blankly.

"Kaori … just listen …" Began Raimundo.

He walked forward and picked up the dairy.

"Kaori …" He began.

She just closed her eyes for a moment, they kept saying her name, like it would help it make sense, as if they were reminding her of who she was. Who was she? She wasn't Kaori Pedrosa, that much she knew.

"You lied to me …" She said quietly.

"No, Kaori … please listen," Said Kimiko.

"No!" Shouted Kaori, "You've been lying to me my entire life! Almost sixteen years and never once did you mention that he's not my real dad!"

"We never meant for you to find out like this …" Said Raimundo.

"You never meant for me to find out at all!" Said Kaori.

"Kaori …" Said Kimiko.

"Stop it!" Shouted Kaori, "Stop saying my name like that."

"Kaori Pedrosa!" Snapped Kimiko, "Listen to us."

"I'm not Kaori Pedrosa though am I?" Said Kaori, "Apparently I'm Kaori Spicer but you were never going to tell me that!"

"We were going to tell you that when you were ready!" Said Raimundo.

"When was I ever going to be ready for that!" She asked.

She looked down at the floor where she had dropped the diary. The photographs had fallen out. She picked them up and then ran for the front door. She slammed the door shut and turned the lock. She slipped on her outdoor doors and grabbed her jacket. As she ran from the house, she didn't pay any attention to where she was going. She just kept running.

* * *

By the time she stopped, she was outside the park. She walked in and across the grass. There was kid's park on the other side. She opened the gate and sat on the swing. She sat in the dark, looking up at the stars. She remembered when she was younger and they first moved to this area, she had hated the journey and to keep her out of the way and to stop her from crying, Ray had brought her to this park and she had sat on this swing. She had kicked her feet out and laughed, trying to see how high she could go.

She sighed and looked down at her feet and then at her hand, the photographs were still clenched in her fist. She didn't know why she had grabbed them. Her eyes settled on the bangle that Hiroto had bought her earlier that day. She sighed, it seemed like a century ago.

She didn't know for how long she just sat on that swing, staring at her feet as they kicked the sand and it wasn't until someone called her name that she looked up.

"Kaori!"

She looked up and saw Hiroto running over to her.

"Hiroto, how did you find me?" She asked.

"I've been looking for ages!" He said, "Your mum called two hours ago saying that you ran off, she wanted to know if I'd seen you. My mum's round your house now, I came out to look for you."

Kaori looked back at her feet without saying anything.

Hiroto knelt down in front of her.

"Kaori … what's happened?" He asked.

Kaori closed her eyes for a moment and a tear fell down her cheek. He got up and sat on the bench next to her.

"You wanna talk?" he asked.

Kaori shook her head slightly.

A ring tone sounded from Hiroto's pocket and he pulled out a phone. Kaori could hear Yukie's voice on the other end.

"Nosaka? Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm in the park," Said Hiroto.

"Have you found her?" Asked Yukie.

Kaori looked sideway at him.

"No … I'll keep looking though." He said before hanging up.

Kaori was looking at each of the pictures in turn.

"Who are they of?" Hiroto asked.

"That's my mum," Said Kaori, "And that's my fake dad."

"Fake dad?" Asked Hiroto.

"He's not my real dad," said Kaori, "Some freak show is my real dad."

"Is that why you ran off?" He asked.

"More or less," Said Kaori, "I keep looking … but I can't find a picture of my real dad. I have no idea what he looks like or anything."

"Neither do I," Said Hiroto.

Kaori looked around at him.

"My dad died when I was a kid," Said Hiroto, "I don't even remember him and mum doesn't put any pictures of him up."

"I'm sorry," Said Kaori.

"I didn't really know him," Said Hiroto, shrugging.

Kaori sighed and put the pictures in her pocket.

"I want to find him," She said, "I want to find him and find out what happened. I can't ask my parents … my mum, she won't tell me."

"Well, I think it's a good idea to find him and then just put this entire thing to rest," Said Hiroto, "The problem is finding him."

"I'll manage." Said Kaori.

"I can help you … if you want, that is." Said Hiroto.

Kaori smiled. They sat side by side, holding hands until the first slithers of sun light rose over the park.

"We'd better got you home," Said Hiroto, "they're probably panicking like hell by now."

"I know," said Kaori, "Thank you … for not telling them where I was."

"I thought that you needed a break from them." He said, "Smothering parents are the last thing you need at a time like this."

Kaori hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Hiroto."

"Come on then," He said.

* * *

Kaori hung back as they walked up her street. Hiroto stopped and turned back.

"Come on Kaori," He said, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

He reached out and took her hand. They walked up the street together and as they turned up the garden path, the front door swung open and Kimiko came running out.

"Kaori!" she cried, grabbing her and hugging her tightly, "Don't you ever make me worry like that again!"

Kaori pulled away.

"God mum, it's only been a few hours." Said Kaori.

"Oh thank you, you found her!" Said Kimiko, turning to Hiroto; "We were going to call the police if she didn't turn up soon! Come on in, you must be freezing. Your mother's inside."

Kaori and Hiroto walked in and sat at the table. Hiroto's mother and Raimundo walked into the kitchen.

"Kaori!" Said Raimundo, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Said Kaori, her face expressionless.

"Hiroto! Well done!" Said Mrs Nosaka.

"I'll get on the phone to Yukie and Mitsuko," Said Raimundo, "They went home a couple of hours ago."

Kimiko put two mugs of hot chocolate on the table in front of them.

"For god's sake Kaori," Said Kimiko, "What were you thinking? Staying outside all night. I don't suppose you've gotten any sleep; you'd better go to bed once you've finished your drink. Running off like that! Yukie and Mitsuko were worried sick! If this young man hadn't found you …"

"Will you quit it?" Said Kaori.

"Your mother has been very worried," Said Hiroto's mother.

"If she is my mother," muttered Kaori.

"That's not funny Kaori," Said Kimiko.

"Who's joking?" Said Kaori.

Raimundo walked back in and sat down opposite Hiroto.

"Thank you for finding her," He said.

"No problem," Said Hiroto.

"Thank you for your concern," Said Kaori to Hiroto's mother.

"Of course," She said, smiling weakly, "It was Hiroto who insisted that he went out and searched for you himself."

"Well it looks like I owe you for something else as well now," Said Kaori.

Hiroto laughed.

"Don't worry about it." He said, "You definitely make life more interesting."

* * *

When Hiroto and his mother had left, Kaori sat in the kitchen with her parents, trying to explain her decision.

"I was talking to Hiroto and he offered to help me," She began, "but I'm going to find Jack Spicer."

"Kaori … we don't have any idea where he is," Said Kimiko.

"I know, but there are other people who might." Said Kaori, "If you could at least help me find them, then I'll find Spicer on my own."

"I don't think this is a good idea, I think you're tired and upset and you need more time to think about this," Said Kimiko.

Kaori looked to Raimundo. His green eyes were filled with a peacefulness and understanding.

"Clay might know," He said.

"Ray!" Said Kimiko.

"You could save me the trouble and explain it all to me," Said Kaori.

"It's not my place, this was all Jack's decision." Said Kimiko, "And he's in hiding for a reason."

"Then I'm going to go and find him, on the first place to America." Said Kaori.

"A plane is not only too expensive, but too slow." Said Raimundo, "I've got a better idea, but first, go to bed, get some sleep and I'll have everything ready for you later."

Kaori nodded and stood up. She walked up the stairs and Kimiko turned to Raimundo.

"Ray … this is a bad idea!" Said Kimiko, "She's here for her own protection!"

"She's going to go with or without our consent," Said Raimundo, "The least we can do if offer her the protection she needs."

Kimiko hesitated.

"Miko … Kim … she's stronger than even she knows! She's the daughter of the dragon of fire!" Said Raimundo, "She's got powers that most people can't understand! The least we can do is help her realise those powers."

* * *

When Kaori woke up and looked at her clock, she saw that she had only been asleep a couple of hours, but things were spinning in her head and she would never dose off again now she was awake. She got up and got in the shower. When she got downstairs, Hiroto was waiting for her.

"Your dad called and said that if I wanted to help you, now was the time." He said.

"Did you get any sleep?" She asked.

"A few hours, more than you probably," Said Hiroto.

"Kaori!" Called Raimundo from the next room.

On the coffee table were a few strange objects.

"What the …" Began Hiroto.

"These are Shen-Gong-Wu, Kaori." Said Raimundo, "And this one is the one that's going to get you where you need to go."

He held up a set of claws made of gold.

"A quick demonstration." He said, "Golden Tiger Claws!"

He slashed the claws down and jumped into the gash it made. When he reappeared, he was on the opposite side of the room.

"Hold crap!" Said Hiroto.

"Magical items!" Said Kaori, "Wow!"

"These can take you anywhere on earth … maybe in the universe, we never tested." Said Raimundo, "Your mother won them in a showdown. These are for self defence."

He pointed to the other items on the table.

"This is the eye of daschi and tangle web comb. The eye shoots lightening and the comb sends out ropes … but really concentrate when you're using it!" Said Raimundo, "these are the only Shen-gong-wu we've got."

"Thanks dad," said Kaori, hugging him, "no matter what happens, you'll always be my dad really."

"And you'll always be my daughter." Said Raimundo, "Your mother's still asleep so you might want to go now before she tries to stop you."

They pulled apart and Kaori handed Hiroto the eye of daschi.

"You sure about this?" He asked.

"No," Said Kaori.

"Great," Said Hiroto.

"Clay and Omi are expecting you," Said Raimundo.

"Thank you," Said Kaori.

She took Hiroto's hand and held her breath for a moment.

"Golden-Tiger-Claws!" She shouted and jumped into the gash.

* * *

They fell out of the other end and landed in the dirt outside a farm. It was dusty and isolated.

"Where are we?" Asked Hiroto.

"Texas," Said a voice from a house.

The person who walked out was a tall man with blonde hair falling out from beneath his cowboy hat.

"Uncle Clay!" Said Kaori, taking his hand as he offered it.

"Kaori, it's been a while," He said, "You were shorter last time I saw you."

Hiroto got up shakily.

"Urgh … I think I'm gonna hurl." He said.

"That's the tiger claws for ya," Said Clay, "Kinda bumpy."

"Clay!" Called a voice, "Are they here?"

Out of the house, limped someone a bit shorter than Clay. He was completely bald and in good shape, despite leaning heavily on a wooden stick.

"Omi, they're over here." Said Clay.

Omi limped over.

"Kaori Pedrosa!" Said Omi, "Daughter of Kimiko!"

"Kaori Spicer more like," She sighed.

"Hey, Raimundo went through a lot, taking you on." Said Clay, "He's a good guy … mostly."

"Are they not here?" Asked Omi.

"No, just us," Said Kaori.

"Who is that?" Asked Omi.

"This Hiroto Nosaka, my friend." Said Kaori.

"Right, about Jack Spicer," said Clay, "We don't know exactly where he is, but we know someone who should."

"Great," Sighed Kaori.

"I wouldn't complain," Said Clay, "We only just lost track of him and we at least know he's alive!"

"Where do we go?" Asked Hiroto.

"Back to where Kimiko, Raimundo, Omi and I all grew up," Said Clay, "Back to the temple."

* * *

(A/N) We're closing in on Spicer! There's not much left of this story now. Once it's finished I'm just gonna focus on All's Fair 2 and Warning About a smile.

Tell me what you think.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	11. Meeting the Teacher

"Are you saying that Jack Spicer is at the temple?" Asked Kaori.

"No … at least I don't think he is." Said Clay, "But Master Fung should know where he is."

"Master Fung? Is he still alive?" Asked Kaori.

"He's got to be ancient!" Said Hiroto.

"And still going strong," Laughed Omi.

"Sorry we can't be of more use to you." Said Clay.

"I don't suppose you have a picture of Jack, do you?" Asked Kaori.

"Sorry, no." Said Clay.

"Right … thank you though." Said Kaori, "We'd better get going."

"Good luck Kaori," said Clay, "Just to warn you, Master Fung can be … confusing."

* * *

Kaori sighed and slashed the claws down, then she and Hiroto jumped into the gash-portal.

When they fell out the other end, they were on grassy hill.

"Where are we now?" Asked Hiroto, groggily.

"China, I think." Said Kaori, "That's where the temple should be. We've just got to find it."

"Is that it?" Asked Hiroto, pointing to a space behind her.

Down below them was a collection of large buildings, surrounded by a high wall.

"I'm gonna go with yes." Said Kaori, "Come on."

The wandered down the grassy path until they came to the front gate. It was shut and bolted.

"How do we get in?" Asked Hiroto.

"I guess we just knock …" Said Kaori, lifted the large knocker and letting it drop.

It clanged loudly, almost deafening them.

"God! You'd think they'd have put in a door bell." Said Hiroto.

The gates opened, but no one was in sight.

"Okay … creepy." Said Hiroto.

"I wonder where everyone is …" Said Kaori looking around.

"Down here." Said a voice.

Kaori looked down and jumped back.

"Ah!" she said, "Talking lizard!"

"I am not a lizard! I am a dragon and I have a name!" He said.

They stood there for a moment.

"Are you going to tell us what it is?" Asked Hiroto.

"I don't know if I can trust you!" Said the dragon.

"Dojo!" Said a voice from a doorway into one of the buildings, "You should be polite to our guests."

"Dojo … you're Dojo?" Asked Kaori, looking down.

"I'm not buying anything." Said the dragon, "Unless it's shoe care!"

"You're not wearing shoes." Said Hiroto.

"You never know when you're going to need it!" said Dojo.

"Well, my guests, I feel I should introduce myself." Said the old man, "I am Master Fung."

"Master Fung!" Said Kaori, "You're who we're looking for!"

"May I as ask as to whom is looking for me?" He asked.

"This Hiroto Nosaka and I'm Kaori Pedrosa." Said Kaori, "We're looking for Jack Spicer and Clay told us you might know where to find him."

"Pedrosa?" Asked Dojo, "Where do I know that name …?"

"Try Raimundo Pedrosa," Said Kaori, "And Kimiko Pedrosa."

"Raimundo and Kimiko!" Laughed Dojo, "Are they here?"

"No, they're at home." Said Kaori, "I'm just here looking for Jack Spicer … my biological father."

"You are on a quest to find your identity?" Asked Master Fung.

"In theory." Said Kaori, "Though I think my identity will always be Kaori Pedrosa."

"It seems to me that your quest is done," Said Master Fung.

"Unless you or the gecko are Jack Spicer, I don't think so." Said Kaori.

"She's definitely Raimundo's daughter." Said Dojo indignantly.

"Technically, no, but I heard Jack is still in China somewhere." Said Kaori.

"That is correct." Said Master Fung.

"Do you know where?" Asked Hiroto.

"I have a location, yes." Said Master Fung.

"Can we have it please?" Asked Kaori.

"Yes … I believe that finding Jack Spicer will be of benefit to you." Said Master Fung, "Come I shall fetch us some tea and tell you what I know."

Kaori smiled and followed Master Fung.

"This place is weird." Said Hiroto.

"Don't worry about it," Said Kaori, taking his hand, "My parents grew up here, it's a good place."

"Well if we don't make it out of here alive, will you go out with me now?" He asked, laughing.

Kaori took her hand away and winked as she walked ahead.

"I see no reason why I can't," She said, "If I'm not expelled by now I won't be anytime soon."

Hiroto stopped and a half dazed smile spread across his face.

"Keep it moving lover boy," Said Dojo from the floor, "Some of us haven't got all day."

* * *

Master Fung put a piece of paper on the table for Kaori. It had an address written on it.

"So this is where I'll find him?" She asked.

"This was his last known location, I don't know if he's had to move on." Said Master Fung.

"Why would he?" Asked Kaori.

"At least one of the reasons is that Wuya is still searching for him." Said Master Fung.

"She's still alive too?" Asked Kaori.

"Still alive and kicking." Said Dojo.

"Maybe I should start doing martial arts, everyone lives longer." Said Hiroto.

Kaori took a sip of her tea and looked at the golden tiger claws for a moment.

"I don't suppose he's going to be glad to see me," She sighed.

"You'll never know unless you try," Said Master Fung, "It is more that likely, that he is as curious about you as you are about him, he just hasn't been able to act upon it like you have."

"I guess." Said Kaori, "I am very curious. I don't even know what he looked like."

"Most people do not know what they are looking for until they find it," Said Master Fung, "And even then, it is not what they expected."

"Uncle Clay was right, you are confusing." Said Kaori

"How are Clay and Omi?" Asked Dojo.

"They seemed alright," Said Kimiko.

"Omi was limping a lot." Said Hiroto.

"His leg will never heal," Said Master Fung.

"I read about that in Kimiko's diary," Said Kaori, "She said that when they attacked Chase Young and he was defeated, he made sure he took a bit of Omi with him. Omi's been crippled ever since …"

"He has grown to enjoy his life without full use of his leg." Said Master Fung, "He uses meditation to keep his skills in check."

They sat in silence for a brief moment.

"There's something I've been wondering," Said Hiroto and they all looked at him, "If Kaori is the daughter of some magical … mystical … thingy dragon warrior, does she have an special powers?"

"That is for Kaori to discover." Said Master Fung.

"Helpful," Said Hiroto.

"Well, in the martial art's tournament a few days ago, I just sort off … did it, without even thinking about it." Said Kaori, "I wasn't the ones doing it, but it was like …"

"It came so naturally, that it was like you were watching someone else doing it?" Said Master Fung.

"Exactly!" Said Kaori.

"That," Said Master Fung, "was the first hint of your true potential. There are more powers that you may possess that will, in time, reveal themselves."

"Great," Said Kaori, "So I might set someone on fire or turn into an evil genius?"

"Perhaps, but it is you, who decides your own fate." Said Master Fung, "none of the four dragons were forced to stay, they all had the choice to leave and pursue normal teenage lives if they wished."

"Don't suppose you're enrolling new students or anything?" Laughed Kaori.

"Not at the moment, but perhaps in time." Said Master Fung, "You two will be the first two students I will inform."

* * *

After drinking their tea, Hiroto and Kaori decided that if they were going to find Jack Spicer today, they would have to leave now.

"Kaori," Said Master Fung, "I trust that I do not have to tell you, that by letting you come here on your own and hearing Jack's side of the story without a biased opinion against him, it shows just how much Raimundo has come to care for you. He is not hesitating in his belief that you will think of him as a father no matter what Jack Spicer says to you."

"He already knows that no matter what happens," Said Kaori, "he will always be my father."

"Good," Said Master Fung, smiling, "and I suggest that you take Dojo with you. Should anything happen and you lose the tiger claws, he can be your mode of transport."

"But he's tiny." Said Hiroto.

"I wouldn't worry about that." Said Dojo.

"Whatever you say," Said Hiroto, "But if we squish you it's your own fault."

Kaori sighed and looked up at the large temple.

"I wish I could've seen my parents here, back before all this happened, with Clay and Omi and the monks …" She smiled, "It sounds like fun, y'know?"

"Yeah, it does." Said Hiroto, taking her hand, "We'd better get going. We can always come back."

"You will always be welcome here," Said Master Fung, bowing.

Kaori and Hiroto also bowed and then Kaori straightened up, put her arm down so Dojo could climb up it and slashed the claws down, yelling as she did so.

"Golden-Tiger-Claws!"

The gash opened the Hiroto, Kaori and Dojo jumped in.

When they fell out of the other end of the portal, they collapsed onto the pavement. Hiroto made an 'urp' noise.

"I can never get used to that." He said.

Kaori looked up; there was a large block of flats above them. It was a busy street and several people were staring at them.

"I think we had better get out of here." Said Hiroto.

"Wait, I'll check the names." Said Kaori, looking up a list outside the coded door.

"I don't see any Jack Spicer …" Said Hiroto.

"No … but I see a Chase Young!" Said Kaori.

"I thought he was dead?" Said Hiroto.

"He is!" said Dojo.

"So someone's using his name, and how many people are gonna do that?" Laughed Kaori.

She pressed the buzzer and waited for a second. Then a voice came across the speaker.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Asked the voice, "I'm not buying anything."

"That's good because I'm not selling anything. We're looking for a Mr Jack Spicer." Said Kaori.

"Don't know anyone by that name," Said the voice.

"Well that's strange since we know that Chase Young knew Jack Spicer," Said Kaori, "We also know that Chase Young is dead. Has been for some time now."

The voice didn't answer. Kaori had gotten his attention.

"Come on Spicer! We know you're in there!" Said Dojo.

"Mr Spicer … I need to talk to you." Said Kaori.

"Who is this?" Asked the voice.

"My name is Kaori … Pedrosa." Said Kaori, hesitating.

The door opened.

"Get inside!" Snapped the voice, "Quick!"

Kaori opened the door and went in first with Dojo coiled around her arm, followed by Hiroto.

"This guy doesn't sound friendly Kaori," said Hiroto.

"He's my father, he should be nice to me!" Said Kaori.

"Does he even know he has a daughter?" Asked Hiroto.

"He knows _of_ her," Said Dojo, "Don't think he knows anything _about_ her."

"That's something he's going to have in common with a lot of parents then." Said Kaori.

Kaori started up the stairs, taking in long breaths and hesitating and the beginning of each new floor, thinking she could leave now and not come back. As she got to Jack's floor and walked along the landing, she was breathing heavily. She stood outside his door for a minute just breathing, her hand raised, but never actually knocking.

"Kaori," said Dojo, "I'm not sure he's interested in being a parent or becoming one any time soon. I'm not even sure he was at the time."

"But I have to do this." Said Kaori.

"No Kaori, you don't," Said Hiroto, "But if you do it, I'll be right here at your side."

Kaori took a very deep breath this time. Her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour and she so badly wanted to run away. However, she also wanted to meet her biological father, the person who was the reason she existed, the person Kimiko, her mother, left for Raimundo Pedrosa.

She knocked and after a second, the door opened …

* * *

(A/N) CLIFFHANGERS! (Giggles insanely) I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS! You'll just have to wait and wait and wait some more … by then I should have finished the next chapter ready for you to read! Ha ha! CLIFFHANGERS! (Smacks herself over the head with a Technicolor brick).

Okay I'm back now. Hope you're enjoying this and tell me what you think.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	12. Wuya

Kaori took a very deep breath this time. Her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour and she so badly wanted to run away. However, she also wanted to meet her biological father, the person who was the reason she existed, the person Kimiko, her mother, left for Raimundo Pedrosa.

She knocked and after a second, the door opened …

Before her stood a tall guy, not any older than Raimundo, with bright red hair and deep red eyes. Now she knew where she got her favourite feature from.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked, "Get inside!"

As they walked in Kaori glared at him.

"Excuse me? Is that the way you usually talk to people you've only just met?" Asked Kaori.

"I told them to keep you safe!" He said.

"What?" Asked Kaori, "Listen, I came here of my free will. Mum didn't even want me to come, it was dad who …"

"Pedrosa?" Asked Jack looked around.

Kaori nodded slightly.

"Bloody Pedrosa." He muttered, "I told him to keep you safe."

"He has, I've never been in danger!" Said Kaori.

"Just by being here you are in danger!" Said Jack, "Wuya is still out there, still hunting me and she's going to use you to get to me!"

"I just want answers!" Said Kaori.

Jack sighed.

"Alright, sit down." Said Jack.

"Kaori are you sure about this?" Asked Hiroto.

"Who's he?" Asked Jack, "I know he's not mine."

"He's my boyfriend," said Kaori and Hiroto looked at her.

Jack sat down and Kaori looked around the small apartment. It was cluttered and untidy. Obviously designed to be easily hidden, not stand out.

"I figured you'd show up one day," Said Jack, "Just not so soon."

"Yeah, well you weren't going to come and find me, were you?" Asked Kaori.

"I was eventually," Said Jack.

"And say what? Kaori, I am your father!" Said Kaori.

"You mean you didn't know?" Asked Jack.

"Of course I didn't know!" Said Kaori.

"That jerk!" Said Jack, "I said raise you like a daughter, not 'deny she even has a biological father'! Bloody Pedrosa!"

Jack looked at Kaori closely.

"It's weird, I haven't seen you since you were a baby … and you look just like I expected you to." He said.

"Even got your eyes, now tell me what happened!" Said Kaori.

"God you talk just like Kimiko as well," Said Jack, "Alright, I'll explain if you tell me what you already know."

"Well, I found my mum's diary, but I didn't know it was hers. I read it, but it just … stopped." Said Kaori, "I went downstairs to ask what happened and my dad was just saying that I wasn't his daughter … I was yours."

Kaori showed him the diary and he read the last page.

"Right." Said Jack, "the fact is, the next day I took Kimiko back to the temple. She explained what was going on … but she had already told me she was going to stay with Raimundo. Well, it wasn't for a little while that it turned out she was pregnant and it didn't take Raimundo long to figure out who's it was. Tore half my hideout apart before Kimiko stopped him. Kimiko was safe while she was in the temple, but Wuya was still looking for both of us. Just after you were born, we made plans that I was still going to be your dad; just I wasn't going to be with her. Then … Wuya found out about you and attacked the temple a few times, trying anything to try and tear us down. She wanted to use both of you against me."

He took a breath and smiled slightly.

"I never thought about anyone else before in my life." Said Jack, "But I wanted you two safe. They decided to leave the temple, keep hidden. They changed their names and went to live in Japan. I knew it would be too dangerous for me to follow, so I told Raimundo to take care of you. I told him to raise you like he was your dad."

He stood up.

"I don't remember agreeing to them cutting me out completely and lying to you." He said.

"Not like you could've been there anyway really." Said Kaori.

"That's not fair." Said Jack.

"No ... being lied to is what's not fair!" Said Kaori, she stood up and turned away for a moment, "It's my birthday in a couple of months … did you even know that? I'm gonna be sixteen!"

"Of course I knew, I send you a card every year … I don't sign it, but I send it!" Said Jack.

Kaori thought back to her last birthday … she did get a blank card … every year. She just never really thought about it before.

"Ha!" Said Jack, "Can't deny that one!"

"Well why didn't you ever visit?" Asked Kaori.

"What part of 'in hiding' don't you get?" Asked Jack.

"I don't believe this!" Said Kaori, "There is no way I'm related to you!"

"Unfortunately I am and if I could do something to change it and make your life simpler, I would." Said Jack, "But I can't."

Kaori was going to argue, but at that moment the door was blasted inwards. In the doorway stood a tall woman with long red hair. She was smiling scarily.

"I'm so sorry Jack, but it seems your daughter just led me straight to you … and her!" She smiled.

"Wuya!" Said Dojo.

"Dude! She _does_ look 1500!" Said Hiroto.

Kaori stepped forward and glared at Wuya in an unimpressed sort of way.

"This is the great witch Wuya?" She asked.

"Kaori, get back!" Said Jack.

"Or what? She'll smile at me?" Said Kaori, "Because personally I think that's the most scary thing she could do right now."

"Oh really?" Asked Wuya, "Because I can do far worse …"

The ground shook and straight through the floor came a large boulder. Jack dodged it and pulled Kaori out of the way before hastily opening a cupboard and pulling out a small wooden puzzle box.

"I've got to distract her," He muttered to himself.

Kaori looked at him and back at Wuya who was preparing to attack him. She felt an anger rise and took a breath before stepping forward. What she did next, no one in the room (including herself) could've predicted.

"_WUDAI MARS FIRE!"_

She let out a blast of fire that knocked Wuya clean off her feet and slammed her into the back wall. Jack stepped forward and opened the puzzle box. She was unconscious as she was pulled into it and the box shut. Kaori stood, staring at her hands.

Hiroto and Dojo looked from Jack to Kaori to the puzzle box.

"You guys are the weirdest people I know," Said Hiroto.

"Try living with them." Said Dojo.

* * *

Kimiko had been sweeping her kitchen floor when a large gash appeared in mid air and Kaori, Hiroto, Dojo and Jack Spicer of all people fell out of it on a pile on the floor.

"Kaori?" Asked Kimiko.

"Hey mum," Said Kaori, getting to her feet.

Hiroto got to his feet shakily and swayed.

"Never again …" He said.

"Kaori," Said Kimiko, "What is Jack Spicer doing on my kitchen floor?"

"Nice to see you too Kim," Said Jack, getting up and stretching.

"His apartment got kinda … trashed," Said Kaori, smiling weakly.

"Trashed?" Asked Kimiko suspiciously.

"Wuya showed up." Said Jack.

Kimiko glared at him.

"Wuya! You let my daughter fight Wuya?" Asked Kimiko.

"Hey she's my daughter too in case you've forgotten!" Said Jack, "And she kicked Wuya's butt!"

"And how is she supposed to stay safe now that they know another dragon is roaming the earth? They'll come looking for a fight!" Said Kimiko.

"No one else saw!" Said Jack.

"You put my daughter's life in danger!" Shouted Kimiko.

"Her life? It was my life on the line Kimiko!" Said Jack.

"Of course you only think about yourself!" Said Kimiko.

At that point Raimundo walked in.

"What's with all the shouting?" He asked.

"You!" Said Jack, turning to Raimundo.

"Oh … his Jack." Said Raimundo, "Kaori, I take it you found him then?"

"Don't change the subject!" Said Jack.

"I don't think we have a subject yet." Said Raimundo.

"When I said look after her like you would your own daughter, I didn't say 'here take her and don't tell her I exist'!" Said Jack.

"We didn't think you'd ever be coming back for her!" said Kimiko.

"I told you I would!" said Jack.

"I just wanted her life to be simple." Said Raimundo.

"She just set Wuya up in flames," Said Jack, "I don't she was ever going to have a normal life."

Kaori turned and walked through the house to her back garden.

"Kaori!" Called Hiroto, running after her.

Kaori sat down on a bench in her back garden and sighed.

"When they stop screaming, I'll go back in," Said Kaori.

"Actually … I wanted to ask if you meant what you said before," Said Hiroto.

"About what?" Asked Kaori.

"About me being your boyfriend?" Asked Hiroto.

"Well … yeah … I guess." Said Kaori, smiling slightly.

Hiroto sat next to her.

"It's strange, when I first asked you out … it was just like we were two people in a class." Said Hiroto.

"We were," Said Kaori.

"And now you have fire powers and you kicked that bitch's butt …" said Hiroto.

"And you're possibly the only person I can actually talk to about any of this." Said Kaori.

"I know … it's funny in a weird way." Said Hiroto.

Kaori smiled and turned to face him. He smiled at her and she kissed him. As she turned away, she listened. She couldn't hear any shouting.

"Let's go in then," She said.

* * *

Back in the house, it was very quiet. Kimiko was walking around making coffee and Jack and Raimundo were sat at the table, neither of them talking.

"Are you three ready to start acting like adults yet?" Asked Dojo.

"Shut up Dojo," Said Kimiko.

"Well that's nice." Said Dojo, "Don't see you for almost sixteen years and the first thing you say is 'shut up'."

"Shut up Dojo." Said Raimundo.

"Yeah okay, I'm done." Said Dojo, sitting on the table.

"What's going on?" Asked Kaori.

"We're not arguing," Said Jack, "that's a start."

"It'll do for now," Said Kaori.

* * *

(A/N) Bit short but oh well. Hope you're enjoying it and I'll be seeing you soon. Have a good Easter.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	13. Sweet Sixteen

"Well?" Said Kaori in her best imitation of her mother's 'disapproving voice'.

"Well what?" Asked Jack.

"Don't give me that!" Said Kaori, "All of you apologise."

"She really is your daughter," Said Jack.

"Now!" Snapped Kaori.

Kimiko, Raimundo and Jack all glanced at each other and muttered.

"Pardon?" Asked Kaori, "didn't quite catch that!"

"Sorry." They all said.

"Good." Said Kaori, "Now raise my allowance!"

"Don't push your luck Kaori!" Said Raimundo.

Hiroto stood just behind her.

"You're hot when controlling." He said quietly.

"You think?" She asked, smiling.

"Seriously," Said Hiroto.

Kaori sat down and Hiroto stood in the doorway with Dojo on his shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Kimiko.

"What do you mean?" Asked Raimundo.

"Well, we can't just expected Jack to walk out of Kaori's life now that she's gone through this effort to find him," Said Kimiko, "And now Wuya's locked away he doesn't have to stay in hiding anymore."

"Neither do we," Said Raimundo.

"I don't think me just appearing in Kaori's life is suck a good idea," said Jack, "it's not exactly fair. I haven't been here for her."

"But you would've been," Said Kaori.

"I would've tried Kaori," Said Jack, "But the truth is, I'm a jerk. Even when I'm good I'm a jerk … or annoying when I'm pure good."

"That's true," Said Kimiko.

"Too true," Muttered Raimundo.

Jack glared at him, but didn't make a comment on it. Kaori looked around. It was strange; it was like they were teenagers again. Not more than a couple of years older than her.

"But … I don't want you to just leave," Said Kaori, "I just spent ages finding you!"

"It's not fair that I try to play any sort of father figure now, not after Rai-jerk just spent almost sixteen years raising you," Said Jack.

Kaori smiled slightly.

"Well, then you need to make up for lost time…"

* * *

"Kaori, I'm not sure about this," Said Kimiko.

She wasn't dressed like a mother. She hadn't dressed like a mother since Kaori had found out about Jack. It was like she had been pretending before and now she was herself again. She was dressed in jeans and a red sun top. Her hair had red streaks in it and she looked a lot younger. Kaori grinned at her. Coming out of hiding two months ago had put new life into her mother. She had even started showing her some new martial arts moves.

Raimundo came out dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt.

"Stop worrying about it." He said.

Her mother wasn't the only one who had changed back to their old self. Her dad was now teaching martial arts at the local gym to teenagers. Hiroto had signed up straight away. He had insisted that Kaori could call him by his first name. He didn't need to feel 'old' anymore now that he was out of hiding. These changes had already made Kaori closer to her parents.

"Rai, you did tell him to come, right?" she asked.

"Course I did Kaori." Said Raimundo, tapping her on the top of the head.

Hiroto walked into the room.

"This isn't my idea of fun!" He sighed.

"Don't worry about it!" Laughed Kaori, slipping on the golden-tiger claws.

Hiroto looked slightly green at the sight of them

Kaori took a breath and called 'golden-tiger claws' slashing the claws down. They all jumped into the gap.

* * *

They fell out the other end of the portal onto soft green grass. Raimundo and Kimiko both landed softly on their feet. Kaori and Hiroto landed face down in the grass.

"How do they do that?" Asked Hiroto queasily.

"You get used to it." Said Raimundo.

Hiroto got up and helped Kaori to her feet. She didn't really need help, but she liked to get help form him anyway.

"Guys!" Called a voice.

They looked around. Clay was walking across the grass towards them. They had landed in the temple courtyard.

"Clay!" Laughed Kimiko, smiling brightly and hugging him.

Omi limped out and smiled broadly at Raimundo.

"Raimundo, I trust that you have stayed in training!" He laughed.

"You'd better believe it!" said Raimundo.

"Young monks, it's good to see you all." Said Master Fung, Dojo coiled around his shoulder.

"Master Fung!" Said Raimundo, smiling.

They all bowed. Hiroto and Kaori looked on bemused. This was obviously a big thing for them. Kaori looked around. He wasn't here.

"Raimundo," Said Kaori, "He's not here."

"I invited him Kaori. I'm sure he'll be here." Said Raimundo, "He'd better be here."

"Cool your jets Rai-jerk." Said a voice from the gateway, "I'm here."

Kaori turned around. Jack Spicer was stood in the gateway.

"Jack!" She called.

She ran up to him and hugged him. Jack stood there … very awkwardly.

"Good to see you too kid." He said.

She pulled away and he handed her a present and a card.

"Happy sixteenth." He said.

She smiled at him.

"Thank you." She said happily.

"That's not it," He said.

He jerked his head backwards. A line of Jack bots filed into the temple. Each was carrying a present.

"Sixteen birthdays," Said Jack, "Sixteen presents."

"Wow …" Said Kaori.

"You can keep the robots too," Said Jack, "They're good for beating the crap out of apparently."

"Aw!" said Clay, "We wanted to do that."

Kaori looked around at the four dragons all grinning at the robots. The robots put down the presents.

"They're all yours!" She said.

As the butt kicking commenced, Jack winced.

"This is still very painful." He said, "I'll build you some more."

"It's okay," She said.

"I'm trying too hard huh?" He asked.

"Just a little." She said.

As Kimiko threw a robot head through the air, Kaori jumped up and kicking it back at her.

"You take after her in so many ways." He said.

"Yeah, but I think I take after you just that little bit too," She said.

"Yeah, how?" He asked.

Kaori put out her wrist.

"Built this watch myself," She said, "keeps stopping at twelve."

Jack blinked at her and then they both burst out laughing.

* * *

They had all decided to stay at the temple for the night. They had already made arrangements to meet up every holiday there and Hiroto had agreed to come with Kaori next time too.

There was a knock at the door and Hiroto walked in. Kaori was sat at a desk, pen in hand, a book open on the desk in front of her.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I figured, all this started because I picked up my mum's diary and started reading. If she hadn't written it down, I never would've found out about all this." Explained Kaori, "So I decided to start my own diary. Then maybe one day, my daughter or son will find it and will read all about this."

"Carrying on the story," Said Hiroto, "Writing the ending."

"Exactly," Said Kaori, "I want them to know that the story has a happy ending … sort of."

Hiroto sat on the bed and she sat down next to him.

"It's only fair that they get to know that they have amazing grandparents." She said, "The memory of Kimiko Tohomiko, Raimundo Pedrosa and Jack Spicer must go on and the memory of the four dragons has to go on too."

* * *

_Several years later …_

"_See you later Yumi!" Called the black haired girl, waving to her friend as she ran up to her house and pulling the door open._

"_Where do you think you've been Risa?" Asked her mother, staring at her._

"_After school class," Said Risa._

"_Risa Nosaka!" Snapped her mother, "Tomorrow is the day I teach self defence at the gym. You're going to go and meet your father at work."_

"_Come on mum," Said Risa, "It's the last week before the holidays."_

"_And have you packed to go and stay with your grandparents?" Asked her mother._

"_I will mum," Said Risa._

_Risa walked up the stairs, smiling. She liked going to stay with her grandparents and their friends. They lived in China, in the mountains. She couldn't tell any of the friends about it though because her mum always said that 'magic was too desirable to the undesirable'. She guessed that meant that because some people weren't trust worthy enough to use it or something. Or did she just have an over active imagination?_

"_Risa!" Called her mother from downstairs, "Your suitcase is in the attic. Go get it down."_

"_Okay," Called Risa._

_She climbed the ladder up to the attic and groaned. There was dust everywhere. She kicked a couple of boxes aside. As she did, one fell over and a book, clothes and pictures fell all over the place. She groaned and started to pick them up. There were two books among the junk in the box. They were both diaries, one black and one green. She opened the black one. In the front cover it said:_

This Diary is the property of Kimiko Tohomiko. Keep your hands off. That means YOU Raimundo! 

_Kimiko and Raimundo? Those were her grandparents' names. She picked up the second diary and opened it. On the inside cover where the words:_

This diary is the property of Kaori Pedrosa-Spicer. Written to complete to story…

**_The End

* * *

_**

(A/N) And so it ends. This one isn't very long, but I like it anyway. I want to know what you think. It ends where the other one began and it goes on.

Lots of luv, Becky.


	14. Review reply Not a chapter!

(A/N) Sorry to everyone, but this isn't strictly a chapter. This is to the person who left me the two following anonymous reviews under the name: not telling you ( ) :

(this story reminds me of 'the classic' and im freakin annoyed by all this filler. there's dojo coming along who does nothing and there's hiroto who seems to just get in the way and make the story longer. the fact that kaori is constantly being immature about the biological father thing is stupid too.)

(ugh, this seems too rushed. the fight against wuya was lame. if it was that easy to beat her, how come they wasted 16 years? and kaori didn't spend a lot of time searching for her father. this story seems like crap and the only part i liked was kinda this chapter and all the diary entries.)

So, Dear not telling you,

If you are going to leave me reviews like this I wish that you would at least have the balls to give me a name. I have no problems with getting flames and I'm adult enough (unlike you apparently) to not take it personally and go and leave bad reviews for revenge. However, if you're going to give me criticisms I'd rather that they were based on actual problems with the story and not just your personal vendetta to be a jerk. Leave me comments saying that you didn't enjoy the story by all means and give me tips on how you think I could make the story better, but leaving me an anonymous review saying that 'this story seems like crap' is just totally out of line and tells me that you clearly have no creative skills of your own to write a better critical review. Oh, and just in case you hadn't noticed, everyone else left me reviews saying that they liked the story so up yours. If you want a real battle, give me a name and I'll check out your stories and we can all laugh at how lame and crap your writing skills are. If you think I'm being out of line, leave me a real critical review and not an anonymous one and I'll read it and take into account your feeling, but I've been through enough crap with having my stories ripped off, having extra work hours, exams at school and constant arguments with my sister without people like you pissing me off. So if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get.

Lots of luv,

Becky (a.k.a Mushroom1302)

p.s. thanks for reading and reviewing!


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